Is CSCVX or MRK a better dividend investment in 2026?

CSCVX currently yields 3.44% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. MRK yields 3.25% with 8.2% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: CSCVX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between CSCVX and MRK?

CSCVX has a forward dividend yield of 3.44% ($0.52/share annually). MRK yields 3.25% ($3.08/share annually). The yield gap is 0.19 percentage points.

Home › Compare › CSCVX vs MRK

CSCVX vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

CSCVX yields 3.44% · MRK yields 3.25%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MRK wins by $5.8K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

CSCVX

● Live price

3.44%

Share price

$15.10

Annual div

$0.52

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$25.0K

Annual income

$429.74

Full CSCVX calculator →

MRK

Merck & Co. Inc.

● Live price

3.25%

Share price

$94.80

Annual div

$3.08

5Y div CAGR

8.2%

Payout ratio

42%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$30.7K

Annual income

$950.29

Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — CSCVX vs MRK

📍 MRK 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	CSCVX	MRK
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, CSCVX + MRK cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

CSCVX pays

MRK pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

CSCVX

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

$292.70/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$365.28/yr

MRK

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

$276.16/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$807.75/yr

At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $442.47/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 CSCVX + MRK for your $10,000?

CSCVX: 50%MRK: 50%

100% MRK50/50100% CSCVX

Portfolio after 10yr

$27.9K

Annual income

$690.02/yr

Blended yield

2.48%

📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

CSCVX

No analyst data

MRK

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Buy

Price Target

$128.54

+35.6% 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.

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Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

CSCVX buys

MRK buys

Politician	Chamber	Ticker	Type	Amount	Date
Josh Gottheimer	🏢 House	$MRK	▲ Buy	$1,001 - $15,000	2026-02-04
Michael McCaul	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$15,001 - $50,000	2026-01-13
Gilbert Cisneros	🏢 House	$MRK	▲ Buy	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-12-19
Julie Johnson	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-12-18
Julie Johnson	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-11-13
Ro Khanna	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-09-29
Val Hoyle	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-09-23
Marjorie Taylor Greene	🏢 House	$MRK	▲ Buy	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-08-28
Julie Johnson	🏢 House	$MRK	▼ Sell	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-08-14
Gilbert Cisneros	🏢 House	$MRK	▲ Buy	$1,001 - $15,000	2025-08-05

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

MetricCSCVXMRK

Forward yield	3.44% ✓	3.25%
Annual dividend / share	$0.52	$3.08 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	42% ✓
1-year div growth	0%	5.5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	8.2% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$25.0K	$30.7K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$429.74	$950.29 ✓
Total dividends collected	$3.9K	$6.1K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	Healthcare

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

Year	CSCVX Portfolio	CSCVX Income/yr	MRK Portfolio	MRK Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,044	$344.35	$11,192	$351.54	$148.00 → MRK
2	$12,173	$355.43	$12,524	$392.70	$351.00 → MRK
3	$13,391	$366.12	$14,015	$438.65	$624.00 → MRK
4	$14,705	$376.41	$15,682	$489.96	$977.00 → MRK
5	$16,121	$386.30	$17,547	$547.23	$1.4K → MRK
6	$17,645	$395.79	$19,632	$611.16	$2.0K → MRK
7	$19,285	$404.87	$21,963	$682.53	$2.7K → MRK
8	$21,048	$413.55	$24,571	$762.18	$3.5K → MRK
9	$22,943	$421.84	$27,486	$851.08	$4.5K → MRK
10	$24,979	$429.74	$30,745	$950.29	$5.8K → MRK

CSCVX vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

CSCVX — Stock

The fund normally invests more than 80% of its net assets (including borrowings for investment, if any) in equity securities of small-cap U.S. companies. The Adviser defines small-cap companies as those companies with market capitalizations within the range of the Russell 2000® Index at the time of purchase.

Full CSCVX Calculator →

MRK — Healthcare

Merck is a Dividend Aristocrat with 14+ consecutive years of increases. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is the world's best-selling cancer drug and drives exceptional cash generation. The company's oncology and vaccines pipeline provides long-term growth visibility beyond the Keytruda patent cliff in the 2030s.

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.