Is CDX or XYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

CDX currently yields 8.43% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. XYLD yields 9.02% with 0.5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: XYLD offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between CDX and XYLD?

CDX has a forward dividend yield of 8.43% ($1.80/share annually). XYLD yields 9.02% ($3.48/share annually). The yield gap is 0.59 percentage points.

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CDX vs XYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

CDX yields 8.43% · XYLD yields 9.02%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 CDX wins by $13.8K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

CDX

● Live price

8.43%

Share price

$21.35

Annual div

$1.80

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$35.0K

Annual income

$1,436.78

Full CDX calculator →

XYLD

Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF

● Live price

9.02%

Share price

$38.60

Annual div

$3.48

5Y div CAGR

0.5%

Payout ratio

90%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$21.1K

Annual income

$2,363.75

Full XYLD calculator →

Portfolio growth — CDX vs XYLD

📍 CDX pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

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 Period	CDX	XYLD
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, CDX + XYLD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

CDX pays

XYLD pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

CDX

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

$716.80/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$1,221.26/yr

XYLD

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

$766.32/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$2,009.19/yr

At 15% tax rate, XYLD beats the other by $787.92/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

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Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of CDX + XYLD for your $10,000?

CDX: 50%XYLD: 50%

100% XYLD50/50100% CDX

Portfolio after 10yr

$28.0K

Annual income

$1,900.27/yr

Blended yield

6.78%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

CDX buys

XYLD buys

No recent congressional trades found for CDX or XYLD in the last 90 days.

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

MetricCDXXYLD

Forward yield	8.43%	9.02% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.80	$3.48 ✓
Payout ratio	50% ✓	90%
1-year div growth	0% ✓	-2.1%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0.5% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$35.0K ✓	$21.1K
Annual income after 10y	$1,436.78	$2,363.75 ✓
Total dividends collected	$11.4K	$15.0K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	monthly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: CDX vs XYLD ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	CDX Portfolio	CDX Income/yr	XYLD Portfolio	XYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,543	$843.29	$10,626	$906.06	+$917.00 → CDX
2	$13,261	$909.75	$11,324	$995.47	+$1.9K → CDX
3	$15,166	$976.76	$12,104	$1,096.88	+$3.1K → CDX
4	$17,272	$1,044.00	$12,977	$1,212.21	+$4.3K → CDX
5	$19,592	$1,111.16	$13,958	$1,343.80	+$5.6K → CDX
6	$22,141	$1,177.97	$15,061	$1,494.40	+$7.1K → CDX
7	$24,935	$1,244.16	$16,307	$1,667.30	+$8.6K → CDX
8	$27,990	$1,309.50	$17,717	$1,866.48	+$10.3K → CDX
9	$31,323	$1,373.77	$19,317	$2,096.71	+$12.0K → CDX
10	$34,953	$1,436.78	$21,140	$2,363.75	+$13.8K → CDX

CDX vs XYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

CDX — Stock

The Simplify High Yield ETF (CDX) seeks to maximize current income by investing primarily in high-yield bonds while mitigating credit risk. CDX is designed to provide core high yield exposure, with its attractive income, while simultaneously deploying a host of compelling and flexible credit hedge techniques.The primary hedge in CDX is a Quality-Junk factor-based hedge, although CDX will opportunistically invest in CDX calls and equity puts based on cost-to-payout ratios.

Full CDX Calculator →

XYLD — ETF

XYLD sells covered calls on the S&P 500, converting equity volatility into monthly income. Yields 8-10% depending on market conditions. Similar to QYLD but with S&P 500 exposure — less volatile but comparable income mechanics. Popular for retirement income portfolios alongside other dividend ETFs.

Full XYLD 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.