HomeCompareCNSL vs MRK

CNSL vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

CNSL yields 43.10% · MRK yields 2.76%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 MRK wins by $28.7K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 6
10 years
CNSL
CNSL
● Live price
43.10%
Share price
$4.64
Annual div
$2.00
5Y div CAGR
-50%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$28.0K
Annual income
$6.00
Full CNSL calculator →
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.76%
Share price
$120.31
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$56.8K
Annual income
$9,798.13
Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — CNSL vs MRK

📍 MRK pulled ahead of the other in Year 6

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 PeriodCNSLMRK
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, CNSL + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

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

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

CNSL
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$3,663.79/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$5.10/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$234.56/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,328.41/yr
At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $8,323.31/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

CNSL: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% CNSL
Portfolio after 10yr
$42.4K
Annual income
$4,902.07/yr
Blended yield
11.56%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

CNSL
Analyst Ratings
2
Buy
2
Hold
4
Sell
Consensus: Sell
Altman Z
0.2
Piotroski
2/9
MRK
Analyst Ratings
25
Buy
11
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+6.8% 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)

CNSL buys
0
MRK buys
0
No recent congressional trades found for CNSL or MRK in the last 90 days.
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricCNSLMRK
Forward yield43.10%2.76%
Annual dividend / share$2.00$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR-50%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$28.0K$56.8K
Annual income after 10y$6.00$9,798.13
Total dividends collected$4.9K$28.9K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare
Analyst consensusSellBuy

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

YearCNSL PortfolioCNSL Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1$12,855$2,155.17$11,206$366.19+$1.6KCNSL
2$15,050$1,294.63$12,650$502.35+$2.4KCNSL
3$16,811$708.24$14,407$694.19+$2.4KCNSL
4$18,358$369.70$16,585$967.82+$1.8KCNSL
5$19,832$188.65$19,342$1,363.89+$490.00CNSL
6← crossover$21,315$95.23$22,913$1,947.19$1.6KMRK
7$22,855$47.83$27,662$2,823.89$4.8KMRK
8$24,479$23.96$34,159$4,173.35$9.7KMRK
9$26,204$11.99$43,337$6,308.80$17.1KMRK
10$28,044$6.00$56,776$9,798.13$28.7KMRK

CNSL vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

CNSLStock

Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides broadband and business communication solutions for consumer, commercial, and carrier channels in the United States. It offers high-speed broadband Internet access and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone services; commercial data connectivity services in various markets, including Ethernet services, private line data services, software defined wide area network, and multi-protocol label switching services; networking services; cloud-based services; data center and disaster recovery solutions; and wholesale services to regional and national interexchange, and wireless carriers comprising cellular backhaul and other fiber transport solutions. The company also provides voice services, such as local phone and long-distance services; and sells business equipment, as well as offers related hardware and maintenance support, video, and other miscellaneous services. In addition, it offers video services, which consist of high-definition television, digital video recorders (DVR), and/or a whole home DVR; and on-demand streaming TV services that provide endless entertainment options. Further, the company provides network access services that include interstate and intrastate switched access, network special access, and end user access; and telephone directory publishing, video advertising, billing and support, and other miscellaneous services. Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Mattoon, Illinois.

Full CNSL 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.