Income ETF Data Methodology: ROC %, Total Return & QA

How the income ETF pages on Dividends Times are built: where each number comes from, how return of capital and total return are computed, what we check before publishing, and how we correct mistakes.

Sources

• Press releases. Issuers announce each distribution through GlobeNewswire. We read the full syndicated copy of the release and keep the GlobeNewswire link as the source.
• Issuer fund page. The fund’s own distribution table (amount, declared, ex, record and pay dates, and the issuer’s estimated return of capital).
• Section 19(a) notices. When a distribution may include anything other than net investment income, the fund must publish a 19a-1 notice estimating its sources. We archive the original PDF.
• Second source. stockanalysis.com, used only to cross-check amounts and dates. Split events come from Yahoo Finance.

How return of capital (ROC %) is computed

ROC % is the share of a distribution that the fund estimates is a return of your own capital rather than income or gains. We show it in two states:

• Issuer estimate: the percentage on the issuer’s fund page, available right after the announcement.
• 19a-1 confirmed: the percentage stated in the fund’s Section 19(a) notice, linked to the PDF. Notices can arrive weeks later; when one is published we replace the estimate. If the notice total does not match the announced amount, the row is withheld.

Both are estimates made during the year. The final tax character of the year’s distributions is reported on Form 1099-DIV, and can differ.

How total return is computed

For funds that pay most of their return as distributions, price alone understates the result and the distribution rate overstates it. NAV-based total return over a period is:

Total return = (NAV at end + distributions paid in the period) / NAV at start − 1

All values are on the same share basis: after a reverse split, earlier NAVs and distributions are multiplied by the split factor. This simple version does not assume reinvestment. We are archiving the issuer’s published NAV every week and will show total return on fund pages once each fund has enough archived history; until then fund pages show only distributions and ROC %.

Reverse splits

Many option income ETFs have done reverse splits. Fund pages show each amount as it was paid. For checks and for the “vs prior” column in the calendar, earlier amounts are multiplied by the split factor (a 1-for-5 reverse split multiplies earlier amounts by 5).

QA rules: when a number is withheld

• Each amount must match the second source within $0.0005 or 2%, whichever is looser.
• Ex-date and pay date must match the second source and the press release.
• The issuer fund page must match the press release. Issuer pages do contain errors: we have seen a misplaced decimal ($0.0533 instead of $0.5330), a record date typed as 2036, and a 10-character CUSIP in a 19a-1 notice.
• A 19a-1 notice whose total does not match the distribution blocks that row.

A row that fails any check is shown as pending verification and its number is not published until the sources agree. A fund page is published only when its latest distribution passes and at least 90% of its rows pass.

Update schedule

Data is collected and re-checked weekly, after the week’s announcements. Each fund page shows its “last verified” date.

Corrections

If you find a wrong number, write to us through the contact page with the fund, the date and the source. We aim to fix confirmed errors within 24 hours and list them here with the date and what changed.

Corrections log: no corrections yet.

This page follows our editorial policy.

Last updated Oct 12, 2026. Educational data, not investment advice.