Is NIE a Friend, Question Mark or Foe?

NIE is classified a Friend under the Income Quality Score framework, based on long-duration distribution and total-return history. This is a research classification, not investment advice.

How safe is the NIE distribution?

A Friend is an income asset whose long-term economic total return has historically covered its distributions and whose distribution has been stable over the available history. It describes a track record of durable, well-covered income.

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Public snapshot

NIE Income Quality Score

Name: NIE Income Quality Score
Creator: Income Quality Score
Keywords: NIE income quality, NIE dividend quality, NIE dividend safety, NIE distribution history, NIE dividend score, NIE analysis, Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund dividend

Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) has an Income Quality Score of 84/100, classified as a Friend with high confidence, based on a 10-year income and total-return history.

Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) is a closed-end fund and is part of the IQ Score universe.

July 2026 snapshotAs of July 7, 2026Lookback: 10-year

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Long-term focused10-year income and total-return analysis

Data-drivenObjective scoring across 5 quality, distribution and risk signals

Clear classificationFriends to own. Foes to avoid.

IQ Score

84/100

FriendHigh confidence

Asset Type

CEF

Exchange

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Trailing Yield (TTM)

—

Rank in CEF Universe

13 of 263

Lookback

10-year

Data as of

July 7, 2026

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About this snapshot
This is the public July 2026 snapshot. Public snapshots are delayed and frozen: once released, a month's scores do not change, and current data is reserved for members. The July 2026 snapshot is published as the public launch snapshot.

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IQ Signal Scores

5 quality, distribution and risk signals combined into the overall IQ Score.

Economic Payout Coverage

66/100

Working Capital Preservation

83/100

Distribution Cut Score

100/100

Distribution Trend

80/100

NAV CAGR

100/100

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IQ Score History

IQ Score trajectory since 2023

NIE's IQ Score has 70 recorded points from 2023-05-31 to 2026-07-07, most recently 83, ranging between 60 and 84 over the period. Over that window NIE recorded 4 classification changes. The chart above plots the score against the methodology's Friend and Foe thresholds and overlays a base-100 normalised price line for capital-preservation context.

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NIE distribution history & safety

Across 12 years of distribution data (2015–2026), NIE recorded 3 annual increases and no distribution cuts. Distribution stability is a core IQ Score signal — a long record free of cuts supports a stronger classification, while repeated cuts weaken it. Per-year figures are shown in the panel above.

Annual increases

2015–2026

Distribution cuts

2015–2026

Years of data

2015–2026

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Trailing yield (TTM)

As of snapshot

Growing

Distribution trend

Over available history

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IQ Score is a long-duration quality and distribution-safety classification for income assets. It is research based on historical data, not personal investment advice, and it does not tell you what to buy or sell. Figures reflect a delayed public snapshot and may differ from current data.