Is EMSLX or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

EMSLX currently yields 15.65% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 12.14% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: EMSLX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between EMSLX and RYLD?

EMSLX has a forward dividend yield of 15.65% ($2.99/share annually). RYLD yields 12.14% ($1.81/share annually). The yield gap is 3.51 percentage points.

Home › Compare › EMSLX vs RYLD

EMSLX vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

EMSLX yields 15.65% · RYLD yields 12.14%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 EMSLX wins by $11.2K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

EMSLX

● Live price

15.65%

Share price

$19.12

Annual div

$2.99

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$55.7K

Annual income

$4,104.85

Full EMSLX calculator →

RYLD

● Live price

12.14%

Share price

$14.95

Annual div

$1.81

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$44.5K

Annual income

$2,587.35

Full RYLD calculator →

Portfolio growth — EMSLX vs RYLD

📍 EMSLX 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	EMSLX	RYLD
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, EMSLX + RYLD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

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Sep

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Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

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EMSLX pays

RYLD pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

EMSLX

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

$1,330.11/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$3,489.12/yr

RYLD

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

$1,031.60/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$2,199.25/yr

At 15% tax rate, EMSLX beats the other by $1,289.88/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 EMSLX + RYLD for your $10,000?

EMSLX: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% EMSLX

Portfolio after 10yr

$50.1K

Annual income

$3,346.09/yr

Blended yield

6.68%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

EMSLX buys

RYLD buys

No recent congressional trades found for EMSLX or RYLD in the last 90 days.

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

MetricEMSLXRYLD

Forward yield	15.65% ✓	12.14%
Annual dividend / share	$2.99 ✓	$1.81
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$55.7K ✓	$44.5K
Annual income after 10y	$4,104.85 ✓	$2,587.35
Total dividends collected	$27.6K ✓	$18.8K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: EMSLX vs RYLD ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	EMSLX Portfolio	EMSLX Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$12,265	$1,564.83	$11,914	$1,213.65	+$351.00 → EMSLX
2	$14,917	$1,793.68	$14,099	$1,351.30	+$818.00 → EMSLX
3	$18,000	$2,038.84	$16,580	$1,494.55	+$1.4K → EMSLX
4	$21,559	$2,299.28	$19,384	$1,642.61	+$2.2K → EMSLX
5	$25,642	$2,573.76	$22,535	$1,794.70	+$3.1K → EMSLX
6	$30,298	$2,860.92	$26,063	$1,950.00	+$4.2K → EMSLX
7	$35,578	$3,159.23	$29,995	$2,107.69	+$5.6K → EMSLX
8	$41,536	$3,467.10	$34,361	$2,266.99	+$7.2K → EMSLX
9	$48,226	$3,782.87	$39,194	$2,427.12	+$9.0K → EMSLX
10	$55,707	$4,104.85	$44,525	$2,587.35	+$11.2K → EMSLX

EMSLX vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

EMSLX — Stock

The fund primarily invests, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in a combination of equity securities of foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) companies in "Emerging Markets" with a suitable potential for earnings growth. Under normal market conditions, the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a universe of stocks listed within the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Full EMSLX Calculator →

RYLD — ETF

The Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Cboe Russell 2000 BuyWrite Index.

Full RYLD 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.