HomeCompareFCEF vs MRK

FCEF vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

FCEF yields 7.36% · MRK yields 2.81%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 MRK wins by $25.2K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 5
10 years
FCEF
FCEF
● Live price
7.36%
Share price
$22.03
Annual div
$1.62
5Y div CAGR
0%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$32.6K
Annual income
$1,174.92
Full FCEF calculator →
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.81%
Share price
$118.10
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$57.7K
Annual income
$10,113.78
Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — FCEF vs MRK

📍 MRK pulled ahead of the other in Year 5

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 PeriodFCEFMRK
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, FCEF + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FCEF pays
MRK pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

FCEF
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$625.98/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$998.68/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$238.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,596.71/yr
At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $7,598.03/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

FCEF: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% FCEF
Portfolio after 10yr
$45.1K
Annual income
$5,644.35/yr
Blended yield
12.51%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

FCEF
No analyst data
MRK
Analyst Ratings
24
Buy
12
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+8.8% 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)

FCEF buys
0
MRK buys
8
PoliticianChamberTickerTypeAmountDate
Josh Gottheimer🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002026-02-04
Michael McCaul🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$15,001 - $50,0002026-01-13
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-19
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-18
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-11-13
Ro Khanna🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-29
Val Hoyle🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-23
Marjorie Taylor Greene🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-28
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-14
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-05
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricFCEFMRK
Forward yield7.36%2.81%
Annual dividend / share$1.62$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR0%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$32.6K$57.7K
Annual income after 10y$1,174.92$10,113.78
Total dividends collected$9.6K$29.8K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare

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

YearFCEF PortfolioFCEF Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1$11,436$736.45$11,213$373.04+$223.00FCEF
2$13,024$787.14$12,667$512.06+$357.00FCEF
3$14,774$837.77$14,439$708.14+$335.00FCEF
4$16,696$888.14$16,640$988.16+$56.00FCEF
5← crossover$18,803$938.04$19,432$1,394.07$629.00MRK
6$21,106$987.29$23,057$1,992.90$2.0KMRK
7$23,619$1,035.74$27,889$2,894.79$4.3KMRK
8$26,356$1,083.24$34,518$4,286.29$8.2KMRK
9$29,330$1,129.67$43,912$6,494.35$14.6KMRK
10$32,559$1,174.92$57,714$10,113.78$25.2KMRK

FCEF vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

FCEFStock

The First Trust Income Opportunities ETF (formerly First Trust CEF Income Opportunity ETF) (the "Fund") seeks to provide current income with a secondary emphasis on total return. Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing in a portfolio of closed-end investment companies ("closed-end funds") and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") that are listed and traded in the United States on registered exchanges. Closed-end funds and ETFs are managed registered investment companies which invest in various types of securities. Both closed-end funds and ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. As a shareholder in a pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of an underlying fund's expenses and would remain subject to payment of the underlying fund's advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested.

Full FCEF Calculator →

MRKHealthcare

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Ridgeback Biotherapeutics; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

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.