Is CSCO or EAT a better dividend investment in 2026?

CSCO currently yields 2.85% with a 3.8% 5-year dividend growth rate. EAT yields 1.46% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: CSCO offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between CSCO and EAT?

CSCO has a forward dividend yield of 2.85% ($1.60/share annually). EAT yields 1.46% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 1.39 percentage points.

Home › Compare › CSCO vs EAT

CSCO vs EAT: Dividend Comparison 2026

CSCO yields 2.85% · EAT yields 1.46%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 EAT wins by $3.2K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

CSCO

Cisco Systems Inc.

● Live price

2.85%

Share price

$56.20

Annual div

$1.60

5Y div CAGR

3.8%

Payout ratio

48%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$16.7K

Annual income

$543.86

Full CSCO calculator →

EAT

● Live price

1.46%

Share price

$136.69

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

-50%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$19.9K

Annual income

$0.14

Full EAT calculator →

Portfolio growth — CSCO vs EAT

📍 EAT 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	CSCO	EAT
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, CSCO + EAT cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

CSCO pays

EAT pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

CSCO

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

$241.99/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$462.28/yr

EAT

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

$124.37/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$0.12/yr

At 15% tax rate, CSCO beats the other by $462.16/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of CSCO + EAT for your $10,000?

CSCO: 50%EAT: 50%

100% EAT50/50100% CSCO

Portfolio after 10yr

$18.3K

Annual income

$272.00/yr

Blended yield

1.48%

📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on CSCO right now

CSCO

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Buy

Price Target

$96.50

+71.7% upside vs current

Range: $91.00 — $100.00

Altman Z

3.3

Piotroski

7/9

EAT

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Buy

Price Target

$180.15

+31.8% upside vs current

Range: $145.00 — $210.00

Altman Z

4.3

Piotroski

8/9

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)

CSCO buys

EAT buys

No recent congressional trades found for CSCO or EAT in the last 90 days.

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

MetricCSCOEAT

Forward yield	2.85% ✓	1.46%
Annual dividend / share	$1.60	$2.00 ✓
Payout ratio	48% ✓	50%
1-year div growth	2.5% ✓	0%
5-year div CAGR	3.8% ✓	-50%
Portfolio after 10y	$16.7K	$19.9K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$543.86 ✓	$0.14
Total dividends collected	$4.1K	$147.00 ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Technology	Stock
Analyst consensus	Buy	Buy
Analyst price target	$96.50	$180.15 ✓

Year-by-year: CSCO vs EAT ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	CSCO Portfolio	CSCO Income/yr	EAT Portfolio	EAT Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$10,506	$295.52	$10,773	$73.16	$267.00 → EAT
2	$11,042	$315.62	$11,564	$36.83	$522.00 → EAT
3	$11,611	$337.26	$12,392	$18.47	$781.00 → EAT
4	$12,215	$360.55	$13,269	$9.25	$1.1K → EAT
5	$12,857	$385.63	$14,202	$4.63	$1.3K → EAT
6	$13,540	$412.66	$15,199	$2.31	$1.7K → EAT
7	$14,266	$441.81	$16,264	$1.16	$2.0K → EAT
8	$15,039	$473.25	$17,403	$0.58	$2.4K → EAT
9	$15,862	$507.19	$18,621	$0.29	$2.8K → EAT
10	$16,739	$543.86	$19,925	$0.14	$3.2K → EAT

CSCO vs EAT: Complete Analysis 2026

CSCO — Technology

Cisco has grown its dividend 12+ consecutive years since initiating payments in 2011. The network equipment leader is transitioning to software and subscription models via its security and observability platforms. Cisco returns 50%+ of free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and buybacks annually.

Full CSCO Calculator →

EAT — Stock

Brinker International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Chili's and Maggiano's. As of June 30, 2021, it owned, operated, or franchised 1,648 restaurants comprising 1,594 restaurants under the Chili's Grill & Bar name and 54 restaurants under the Maggiano's Little Italy brand name. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Full EAT Calculator →

📬

Get this CSCO vs EAT comparison by email

Save your analysis + weekly dividend insights. Free forever.

More comparisons

CSCO vs IBM CSCO vs MSFT CSCO vs ORCL CSCO vs HPQ CSCO vs JNPR CSCO vs SCHD CSCO vs JEPI CSCO vs O

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