Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) Probability Analysis

Probability analysis extracts the risk-neutral probability distribution implied by option prices. It shows the market-implied likelihood of the underlying reaching various price levels by expiration.

Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management - Income industry, with a market capitalization near $8.34B, listed on NASDAQ, carrying a beta of 0.49 to the broader market. The Global X Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Cboe Nasdaq-100 BuyWrite V2 Index. public since 2013-12-12.

Snapshot as of May 29, 2026.

Spot Price
$18.09
ATM IV
447.3%
IV Rank
90.7%
IV Percentile
98.0%
HV 20-Day
7.8%
IV Skew 25Δ
0.491

As of May 29, 2026, Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) at $18.09 has an ATM IV of 447.3%, implying a 30-day one-standard-deviation range of approximately ±$23.20. IV rank is 90.7% (elevated, distribution priced wider than typical). IV percentile is 98.0%. The 25-delta skew is +0.491: upside tail priced richer than downside, biasing probability mass above spot. Under lognormal assumptions roughly 68% of outcomes fall within ±1σ and 95% within ±2σ; risk-neutral probability analysis refines this by extracting the market-implied distribution directly from options prices, capturing the fat tails that real markets exhibit.

How QYLD probability analysis Data Feeds Strategy Selection

Strategy selection on Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The probability analysis view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 447.3% and dealer gamma exposure is positive, so dealer hedging is mechanically mean-reverting. Combine the probability analysis data here with the volatility-skew surface, dealer-gamma exposure, max-pain level, and upcoming-events calendar to build a positioning thesis. Risk-defined structures (credit spreads, debit spreads, iron condors) are usually safer than naked positions while the regime is uncertain; the data on this page anchors the inputs but does not by itself constitute a trade thesis.

How to read the QYLD probability distribution

The probability cone above is the option-market-implied distribution of where Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF spot could end up at expiration. It's derived from the implied-volatility surface via a risk-neutral pricing transformation, not from historical realized returns. With ATM IV at 447.3% and spot at $18.09, the 1σ band is approximately ±154.3% over a 30-day horizon. Recent realized HV-20 of 7.8% runs 439.5 vol points below the current implied, suggesting the chain is pricing more dispersion than the underlying has been delivering.

QYLD risk-neutral vs real-world probabilities

The probabilities derived from option prices reflect the market's risk-adjusted view, not the realized statistical distribution. Risk-neutral probabilities include the equity risk premium and skew preferences priced into options, so they tend to overstate tail probability and understate upside drift relative to actually-realized outcomes. For probability-of-touch calculations and assignment-risk modeling, risk-neutral is the right benchmark. For position-sizing your own conviction, blend with realized-volatility-based statistics from the HV columns.

Trading the QYLD distribution

Probability-driven strategies aim to capture mispricings between the implied distribution and your own probability assessment. Premium-selling structures (credit spreads, iron condors, cash-secured puts) profit when the implied distribution overprices tail probability relative to realized; premium-buying (debit spreads, long calls/puts, long straddles) profits in the reverse. With QYLD IV rank at 90.7%, the chain is pricing fatter tails than recent realized history; sellers earn the gap on average. Always pair probability-driven strategy selection with a stop loss or wing-defined risk - the implied distribution is a snapshot, and regime shifts can invalidate it intraday.

Learn how risk-neutral density is reported and how to read the data →

QYLD highest implied-volatility contracts

TypeStrikeExpirationVolumeOIIVBidAsk
CALL$18.00Jun 18, 20261661.7K447.3%$0.15$0.25
PUT$18.00Jun 18, 2026353167447.3%$0.10$0.20

Top 2 contracts from the institutional-grade nightly options scan; ranked by iv within the broader S&P 500/400/600 + ETF universe.

Frequently asked QYLD probability analysis questions

What is the QYLD 30-day expected price range?
As of May 29, 2026, with QYLD at $18.09 and ATM IV at 447.3%, the implied 30-day one-standard-deviation range is approximately ±$23.20, or about $-5.11 to $41.29. IV rank is elevated, so the priced distribution is wider than the 1-year typical width.
What does QYLD risk-neutral density tell us?
Risk-neutral density is the probability distribution of future QYLD price implied by listed option prices. Extracted via Breeden-Litzenberger (twice-differentiating the call price function with respect to strike), it represents the pricing kernel rather than the real-world probability of outcomes. Persistent skew or fat-tail features in the density reflect how the market is pricing tail risk.
How does QYLD ATM IV translate to a probability range?
ATM IV is annualized; multiplying by sqrt(t/365) scales it to the chosen tenor. Under lognormal assumptions, the resulting standard deviation defines the ±1σ band that contains roughly 68% of outcomes, ±2σ for 95%. Empirical equity returns have fatter tails than log-normal, so the implied tail probabilities under-state realized tail frequency in stressed regimes.