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ASHTF vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

ASHTF yields 1.55% · MRK yields 2.81%● Live data

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After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 ASHTF wins by $22.63M in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 3
10 years
ASHTF
ASHTF
● Live price
1.55%
Share price
$70.01
Annual div
$1.09
5Y div CAGR
100%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$22.68M
Annual income
$20,188,388.68
Full ASHTF calculator →
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.81%
Share price
$118.10
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$57.7K
Annual income
$10,113.78
Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — ASHTF vs MRK

📍 ASHTF pulled ahead of the other in Year 3

Annual dividend income

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Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

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

Crisis PeriodASHTFMRK
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%.
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Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, ASHTF + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
ASHTF pays
MRK pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

ASHTF
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$132.15/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$17,160,130.38/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$238.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,596.71/yr
At 15% tax rate, ASHTF beats the other by $17,151,533.67/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of ASHTF + MRK for your $10,000?

ASHTF: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% ASHTF
Portfolio after 10yr
$11.37M
Annual income
$10,099,251.23/yr
Blended yield
88.82%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

ASHTF
Analyst Ratings
1
Buy
1
Hold
Consensus: Buy
Altman Z
2.3
Piotroski
7/9
MRK
Analyst Ratings
24
Buy
12
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+8.8% upside vs current
Range: $100.00 — $150.00
Altman Z
4.0
Piotroski
6/9
Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.
🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ASHTF buys
0
MRK buys
8
PoliticianChamberTickerTypeAmountDate
Josh Gottheimer🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002026-02-04
Michael McCaul🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$15,001 - $50,0002026-01-13
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-19
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-18
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-11-13
Ro Khanna🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-29
Val Hoyle🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-23
Marjorie Taylor Greene🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-28
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-14
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-05
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricASHTFMRK
Forward yield1.55%2.81%
Annual dividend / share$1.09$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR100%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$22.68M$57.7K
Annual income after 10y$20,188,388.68$10,113.78
Total dividends collected$22.46M$29.8K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare
Analyst consensusBuyBuy

Year-by-year: ASHTF vs MRK ($10,000, DRIP)

YearASHTF PortfolioASHTF Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1$11,011$310.95$11,213$373.04$202.00MRK
2$12,422$639.97$12,667$512.06$245.00MRK
3← crossover$14,641$1,349.47$14,439$708.14+$202.00ASHTF
4$18,638$2,972.97$16,640$988.16+$2.0KASHTF
5$27,018$7,074.34$19,432$1,394.07+$7.6KASHTF
6$48,076$19,167.57$23,057$1,992.90+$25.0KASHTF
7$115,194$63,752.76$27,889$2,894.79+$87.3KASHTF
8$408,784$285,525.81$34,518$4,286.29+$374.3KASHTF
9$2,331,285$1,893,886.04$43,912$6,494.35+$2.29MASHTF
10$22,682,863$20,188,388.68$57,714$10,113.78+$22.63MASHTF

ASHTF vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

ASHTFStock

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services. The company offers its products and services for facilities maintenance and municipalities, such as office complexes, apartment complexes, government, hospitals, data centers, parks and recreation departments, schools and universities, shopping centers, pavement/kerb repairs, and golf course maintenance; construction of airports, highways and bridges, office buildings, data centers, schools and universities, shopping centers, residential, remodeling, manufacturing plants, and green energy plants; emergency response for fire, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, winter, storms, residential and health emergencies, alternative care facilities, points of distribution, and mobile testing facilities; and entertainment and special events, including national events, concerts, sporting events, film and telvision production, theme parks, festivals farmers' markets, local 5k runs, and cycle races. It operates 967 stores in the United States, 89 stores in Canada, and 177 stores in the United Kingdom under the Sunbelt Rentals brand. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Full ASHTF Calculator →

MRKHealthcare

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Ridgeback Biotherapeutics; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

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