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Security Comparison

TSII vs TSLA: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of REX TSLA Growth & Income ETF and Tesla, Inc. covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Updated October 8, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

  • TSIIInvestors who want to maximize current income — roughly 49.53%, generated by selling options premium.
  • TSLAInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

TSII has lagged TSLA over the trailing twelve months, posting a -14.12% total return against -12.76%. Measured from Jun 2025 — the start of shared available history — TSII has compounded at 12.86% a year versus 11.11% for TSLA. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
SymbolYTD cumulative1Y cumulativeSince Jun 2025Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
TSII-15.25%-14.12%12.86%48.3%-0.41-0.53-44.1%
TSLA-12.64%-12.76%11.11%45.7%-0.40-0.53-39.1%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 9, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Jun 2025” measures every fund from June 4, 2025 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the past year. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the past year) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Distribution rate, SEC yield and return of capital

MetricTSIITSLA
Forward distribution rate49.53%—
Trailing 12-month yield89.56%—
30-day SEC yield2.73%—
Return of capital97.00%—

Total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is the Total returns section above. Return of capital is the share of a recent distribution that was not income. A 30-day SEC yield can sit far from the headline distribution rate; both numbers are the fund's own published fields.

Not a distribution payer

TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. TSLA is not a payer. The blank yield is not a zero yield.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricTSIITSLA
Full nameREX TSLA Growth & Income ETFTesla, Inc.
IssuerREX Shares—
Last Close$13.49 as of October 8, 2026$375.00 as of October 8, 2026
Distribution rate49.53%—
Trailing 12-month yield89.56%—
30-day SEC yield2.73%—
Distribution Safety Score™ 43—
Safety-Adjusted Yield 21.30%—
Expense ratio1.52%—
AUM$31.6M—
Distribution frequencyWeeklyNone
Underlying indexTesla (TSLA)—
ObjectiveDesigned to generate weekly income and retain Tesla upside by combining a stock position with a call spread and protective put overlay.Designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles, energy generation and storage systems, and related services. Operates automotive, energy generation and storage, and services segments.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception date06/04/2025N/A
Beta2.16351.916
Last dividend$0.1285—
Ex-dividend date10/06/2026—

Bottom lineChoose TSII if you want to maximize current income — roughly 49.53%, generated by selling options premium. Choose TSLA if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. There's no free lunch: TSII's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while TSLA keeps full price exposure.

How the risk works

Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.

  • Capped upside and premium dependence. TSII generates income by selling options, which trades away part of a strong rally in exchange for premium. Distributions can include return of capital, and a payout the underlying assets cannot sustain shows up as NAV erosion over time — the big yield number is not free.

Learn the mechanics: Return of capital, explained · NAV erosion, explained

Model this comparison:
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Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each security at current yields.

REX Shares
ETFs74
Total AUM$17.0B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

REX Shares is known for specializing in options-based and thematic ETF strategies, offering 23 funds organized across distinct families including Covered Call, IncomeMax Option Strategy, and MicroSectors products. The fund lineup emphasizes income generation through option strategies and sector-specific exposure, with holdings spanning technology, commodities, and alternative assets. REX Shares targets investors seeking non-traditional income approaches and concentrated sector bets, positioning itself in a niche segment focused on structured strategies rather than broad market indexing.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on TSII.

See all REX Shares ETFs

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Quick verdict

TSII (REX TSLA Growth & Income ETF) is an ETF, while TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock — their trading structures differ.

TSII currently shows a 49.53% distribution yield. TSLA has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

Who should choose each?

Choose TSII

REX TSLA Growth & Income ETF

  • Want to maximize current income — TSII distributes roughly 49.53% from selling options premium, while TSLA makes no distribution.
  • Are comfortable with an options-income strategy — a large payout in exchange for capped upside.

Choose TSLA

Tesla, Inc.

  • Want direct stock ownership — full upside and dividend growth potential, no fund wrapper or expense ratio.
  • Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.9 vs 2.2 for TSII.

Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, TSII would generate roughly $95.25 cash per distribution, while TSLA has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, at current distribution rates.

TSII yield49.53%
TSLA yield—

Cost & efficiency

TSII charges a 1.52% expense ratio — roughly $1,520 over 10 years on $10,000 (simplified, not compounded). TSLA is a stock, not a fund, so it charges no expense ratio.

TSII ER1.52%

Strategy & risk

TSII tracks Tesla (TSLA) with an options approach, while TSLA is a stock built around electric vehicles exposure. Beta is 2.1635 for TSII and 1.916 for TSLA, making TSLA the less volatile of the two by this measure.

TSII beta2.1635
TSLA beta1.916

Security details

TSII is managed by REX Shares (launched 06/04/2025) with $31.6M in assets. TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock.

TSII AUM$31.6M
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Frequently asked questions

Which of TSII or TSLA pays more dividend income?

TSII currently reports a distribution yield, while TSLA has not yet established a full distribution history. A direct income comparison is not yet meaningful — check back once both funds have published several consecutive distributions.

What is the difference between TSII and TSLA?

TSII (REX TSLA Growth & Income ETF) tracks Tesla (TSLA) with an options approach, while TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock built around electric vehicles exposure. They are issued by REX Shares and — respectively.

Can I hold both TSII and TSLA?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Which has lower fees, TSII or TSLA?

TSII charges a 1.52% expense ratio. TSLA is a stock, not a fund, so it has no expense ratio — owning it directly costs nothing in ongoing fund fees.

How much income does $10,000 in TSII vs TSLA generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in TSII would generate roughly $95.25 cash per distribution ($4,953.00 annually). TSLA does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate.

Which has performed better historically, TSII or TSLA?

TSII has lagged TSLA over the trailing twelve months, posting a -14.12% total return against -12.76%. Measured from Jun 2025 — the start of shared available history — TSII has compounded at 12.86% a year versus 11.11% for TSLA. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

TSII vs TSLA — at a glance

Generated October 3, 2026.

Figures quoted in this analysis are from its generation date and may lag the live snapshot table above, which always shows the latest data.

TSLA is the underlying stock itself, which pays no dividend and returns value entirely through price appreciation.

How they differ

TSII's defining feature is its options-based income strategy: it sells call spreads and buys protective puts around Tesla, generating 49.53% in annualized distributions paid weekly. TSLA, by contrast, is the raw equity—no yield, no hedging, no structural modifications. This income comes with cost: TSII carries a 1.52% expense ratio and began trading only 1 year, making it one of the youngest funds on the market. The second major difference is downside protection.

Who each is best for

TSII: Fits investors who prioritize current weekly cash flow over unrestricted capital growth, can tolerate the income strategy's structural caps on upside, and want to hedge against sudden Tesla declines through the embedded protective put.

TSLA: Fits investors with a longer time horizon who believe in Tesla's long-term business fundamentals and prefer to avoid the yield-drag and options-decay costs embedded in hedged instruments—and who are comfortable with Tesla's unhedged equity risk.

Key risks to know

  • NAV erosion at 45%+ yield. A distribution rate of 49.53% likely depends on accelerating call-premium decay and return-of-capital treatment. Over time, if options volatility normalizes or Tesla's price stagnates, the fund's ability to sustain current payouts may decline, putting downward pressure on NAV.
  • Call cap limits upside. The short call spread in TSII caps gains above a preset strike. If Tesla rallies sharply, TSII holders forfeit the excess gains that TSLA shareholders capture in full.
  • Extreme illiquidity and concentration. TSII has $31.6M in assets, making it thinly traded relative to TSLA. Single-asset synthetic funds are also prone to wide bid-ask spreads and may be difficult to exit in size without moving the market.
  • Options decay and volatility dependency. The fund's income stream hinges on sustained implied volatility and call-premium harvesting. A sudden drop in Tesla's volatility or a shift in market pricing of options could sharply reduce the income available to distribute.
  • Structural complexity and counterparty risk. The put-and-call overlay introduces counterparty risk and operational complexity; any mishedge or technical failure in the overlay mechanics could result in unintended losses that a direct TSLA holder would not face.

Bottom line

TSII and TSLA occupy opposite corners of the Tesla-exposure spectrum. Past performance does not predict future results, and the sustainability of TSII's yield depends on conditions that may not persist.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

Learn the method

The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

How covered-call funds work How to read a fund's stats The covered-call opportunity cost

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.