Is ESRX or MRK a better dividend investment in 2026?

ESRX currently yields 2.17% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. MRK yields 3.25% with 8.2% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: MRK offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between ESRX and MRK?

ESRX has a forward dividend yield of 2.17% ($2.00/share annually). MRK yields 3.25% ($3.08/share annually). The yield gap is 1.08 percentage points.

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ESRX vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

ESRX yields 2.17% · MRK yields 3.25%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MRK wins by $7.9K in total portfolio value

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 →

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

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

ESRX pays

MRK 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

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 $595.95/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

ESRX: 50%MRK: 50%

100% MRK50/50100% ESRX

Portfolio after 10yr

$26.8K

Annual income

$599.73/yr

Blended yield

2.24%

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Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

ESRX

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.

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ESRX buys

MRK buys

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

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

MetricESRXMRK

Forward yield	2.17%	3.25% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$3.08 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	42% ✓
1-year div growth	0%	5.5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	8.2% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$22.9K	$30.7K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$249.17	$950.29 ✓
Total dividends collected	$2.3K	$6.1K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	Healthcare

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

Year	ESRX Portfolio	ESRX Income/yr	MRK Portfolio	MRK Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$10,917	$216.61	$11,192	$351.54	$275.00 → MRK
2	$11,902	$221.00	$12,524	$392.70	$622.00 → MRK
3	$12,960	$225.18	$14,015	$438.65	$1.1K → MRK
4	$14,096	$229.16	$15,682	$489.96	$1.6K → MRK
5	$15,316	$232.95	$17,547	$547.23	$2.2K → MRK
6	$16,625	$236.55	$19,632	$611.16	$3.0K → MRK
7	$18,029	$239.96	$21,963	$682.53	$3.9K → MRK
8	$19,534	$243.20	$24,571	$762.18	$5.0K → MRK
9	$21,147	$246.26	$27,486	$851.08	$6.3K → MRK
10	$22,877	$249.17	$30,745	$950.29	$7.9K → MRK

ESRX vs MRK: 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 →

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.