Is ESRX or MO a better dividend investment in 2026?

ESRX currently yields 2.17% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. MO yields 6.36% with 4.3% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: MO offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between ESRX and MO?

ESRX has a forward dividend yield of 2.17% ($2.00/share annually). MO yields 6.36% ($4.20/share annually). The yield gap is 4.19 percentage points.

Home › Compare › ESRX vs MO

ESRX vs MO: Dividend Comparison 2026

ESRX yields 2.17% · MO yields 6.36%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MO wins by $57.2K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 4

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

ESRX

● Live price

2.17%

Share price

$92.33

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$22.9K

Annual income

$249.17

Full ESRX calculator →

Altria Group Inc.

● Live price

6.36%

Share price

$65.99

Annual div

$4.20

5Y div CAGR

22.6%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$80.1K

Annual income

$30,159.17

Full MO calculator →

Portfolio growth — ESRX vs MO

📍 MO pulled ahead of the other in Year 4

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	ESRX	MO
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, ESRX + MO cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

ESRX pays

MO pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

ESRX

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

$184.12/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$211.79/yr

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

$540.99/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$25,635.29/yr

At 15% tax rate, MO beats the other by $25,423.50/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 ESRX + MO for your $10,000?

ESRX: 50%MO: 50%

100% MO50/50100% ESRX

Portfolio after 10yr

$51.5K

Annual income

$15,204.16/yr

Blended yield

29.53%

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Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MO right now

ESRX

No analyst data

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Buy

Price Target

$61.25

-7.2% upside vs current

Range: $47.00 — $68.00

Altman Z

3.2

Piotroski

7/9

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)

ESRX buys

MO buys

No recent congressional trades found for ESRX or MO in the last 90 days.

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

MetricESRXMO

Forward yield	2.17%	6.36% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$4.20 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	22.6% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$22.9K	$80.1K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$249.17	$30,159.17 ✓
Total dividends collected	$2.3K	$74.5K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	Consumer Staples

Year-by-year: ESRX vs MO ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	ESRX Portfolio	ESRX Income/yr	MO Portfolio	MO Income/yr	Gap
1	$10,917	$216.61	$10,570	$780.30	+$347.00 → ESRX
2	$11,902	$221.00	$11,381	$1,032.90	+$521.00 → ESRX
3	$12,960	$225.18	$12,535	$1,392.73	+$425.00 → ESRX
4← crossover	$14,096	$229.16	$14,193	$1,920.91	$97.00 → MO
5	$15,316	$232.95	$16,618	$2,723.68	$1.3K → MO
6	$16,625	$236.55	$20,263	$3,993.80	$3.6K → MO
7	$18,029	$239.96	$25,936	$6,098.36	$7.9K → MO
8	$19,534	$243.20	$35,166	$9,775.01	$15.6K → MO
9	$21,147	$246.26	$51,026	$16,597.78	$29.9K → MO
10	$22,877	$249.17	$80,113	$30,159.17	$57.2K → MO

ESRX vs MO: Complete Analysis 2026

ESRX — Stock

Express Scripts is a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organization founded in 1986. It offers integrated services like pharmacy claims processing, home delivery, formulary management, specialty pharmacy via Accredo, and data-driven drug utilization insights. The company is a subsidiary of Cigna following a $54 billion acquisition completed in December 2018.

Full ESRX Calculator →

MO — Consumer Staples

Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; and moist smokeless tobacco products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands, as well as provides on! oral nicotine pouches. It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors; and large retail organizations, such as chain stores. Altria Group, Inc. was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Full MO 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.