Is AFJAX or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

AFJAX currently yields 5.45% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: AFJAX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between AFJAX and VYM?

AFJAX has a forward dividend yield of 5.45% ($1.34/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 3.04 percentage points.

Home › Compare › AFJAX vs VYM

AFJAX vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

AFJAX yields 5.45% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled

🏆 AFJAX wins by $785.00 in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

AFJAX

● Live price

5.45%

Share price

$24.54

Annual div

$1.34

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$28.6K

Annual income

$771.33

Full AFJAX calculator →

VYM

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

● Live price

2.41%

Share price

$145.48

Annual div

$3.51

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$27.8K

Annual income

$278.55

Full VYM calculator →

Portfolio growth — AFJAX vs VYM

📍 AFJAX pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis Period	AFJAX	VYM
2008–2009 GFC	— No data	— No data
2020 Q1–Q2 COVID	— No data	— No data
2022 Q4 Rate Hike	— No data	— No data

Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.

📅

Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, AFJAX + VYM cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

AFJAX pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

AFJAX

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$463.00/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$655.63/yr

VYM

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$205.23/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$236.77/yr

At 15% tax rate, AFJAX beats the other by $418.86/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of AFJAX + VYM for your $10,000?

AFJAX: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% AFJAX

Portfolio after 10yr

$28.2K

Annual income

$524.94/yr

Blended yield

1.86%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

AFJAX buys

VYM buys

No recent congressional trades found for AFJAX or VYM in the last 90 days.

STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →

MetricAFJAXVYM

Forward yield	5.45% ✓	2.41%
Annual dividend / share	$1.34	$3.51 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$28.6K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$771.33 ✓	$278.55
Total dividends collected	$6.6K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: AFJAX vs VYM ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	AFJAX Portfolio	AFJAX Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,245	$544.71	$11,151	$241.44	+$94.00 → AFJAX
2	$12,604	$572.44	$12,413	$246.79	+$191.00 → AFJAX
3	$14,086	$599.67	$13,794	$251.79	+$292.00 → AFJAX
4	$15,699	$626.33	$15,306	$256.47	+$393.00 → AFJAX
5	$17,450	$652.36	$16,960	$260.84	+$490.00 → AFJAX
6	$19,349	$677.70	$18,768	$264.92	+$581.00 → AFJAX
7	$21,406	$702.30	$20,745	$268.71	+$661.00 → AFJAX
8	$23,630	$726.12	$22,905	$272.24	+$725.00 → AFJAX
9	$26,034	$749.14	$25,265	$275.51	+$769.00 → AFJAX
10	$28,627	$771.33	$27,842	$278.55	+$785.00 → AFJAX

AFJAX vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

AFJAX — Stock

The fund normally invests at least 65% of its net assets (plus borrowings made for investment purposes) in common stocks and other equity securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants) of non-U.S. companies with market capitalizations greater than $1 billion. It normally invests significantly in securities that the portfolio managers expect will generate income (for example, by paying dividends).

Full AFJAX Calculator →

VYM — ETF

Seeks to track the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, which measures the investment return of common stocks of companies characterized by high dividend yields. Provides a convenient way to track the performance of stocks that are forecasted to have above-average dividend yields. Follows a passively managed, full-replication approach.

Full VYM Calculator →

📬

Get this AFJAX vs VYM comparison by email

Save your analysis + weekly dividend insights. Free forever.

More comparisons

AFJAX vs SCHD AFJAX vs JEPI AFJAX vs O AFJAX vs KO AFJAX vs MAIN AFJAX vs VIG AFJAX vs DGRO AFJAX vs HDV

⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.