Is ISTAX or HDV a better dividend investment in 2026?

ISTAX currently yields 10.96% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. HDV yields 2.92% with 4.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: ISTAX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between ISTAX and HDV?

ISTAX has a forward dividend yield of 10.96% ($2.84/share annually). HDV yields 2.92% ($3.96/share annually). The yield gap is 8.04 percentage points.

Home › Compare › ISTAX vs HDV

ISTAX vs HDV: Dividend Comparison 2026

ISTAX yields 10.96% · HDV yields 2.92%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 ISTAX wins by $17.0K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

ISTAX

● Live price

10.96%

Share price

$25.87

Annual div

$2.84

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$41.3K

Annual income

$2,178.55

Full ISTAX calculator →

HDV

iShares Core High Dividend ETF

● Live price

2.92%

Share price

$135.39

Annual div

$3.96

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$24.3K

Annual income

$352.73

Full HDV calculator →

Portfolio growth — ISTAX vs HDV

📍 ISTAX 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	ISTAX	HDV
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, ISTAX + HDV cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

—

May

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Jun

—

Jul

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Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

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Dec

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ISTAX pays

HDV pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

ISTAX

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

$931.92/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$1,851.77/yr

HDV

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

$248.52/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$299.82/yr

At 15% tax rate, ISTAX beats the other by $1,551.95/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 ISTAX + HDV for your $10,000?

ISTAX: 50%HDV: 50%

100% HDV50/50100% ISTAX

Portfolio after 10yr

$32.8K

Annual income

$1,265.64/yr

Blended yield

3.86%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ISTAX buys

HDV buys

No recent congressional trades found for ISTAX or HDV in the last 90 days.

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

MetricISTAXHDV

Forward yield	10.96% ✓	2.92%
Annual dividend / share	$2.84	$3.96 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$41.3K ✓	$24.3K
Annual income after 10y	$2,178.55 ✓	$352.73
Total dividends collected	$16.3K ✓	$3.2K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: ISTAX vs HDV ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	ISTAX Portfolio	ISTAX Income/yr	HDV Portfolio	HDV Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,796	$1,096.38	$11,002	$292.38	+$794.00 → ISTAX
2	$13,831	$1,208.72	$12,084	$300.36	+$1.7K → ISTAX
3	$16,123	$1,324.47	$13,250	$308.02	+$2.9K → ISTAX
4	$18,695	$1,443.00	$14,506	$315.35	+$4.2K → ISTAX
5	$21,567	$1,563.70	$15,858	$322.35	+$5.7K → ISTAX
6	$24,763	$1,685.93	$17,313	$329.04	+$7.5K → ISTAX
7	$28,306	$1,809.10	$18,878	$335.42	+$9.4K → ISTAX
8	$32,220	$1,932.62	$20,560	$341.49	+$11.7K → ISTAX
9	$36,531	$2,055.94	$22,367	$347.25	+$14.2K → ISTAX
10	$41,267	$2,178.55	$24,307	$352.73	+$17.0K → ISTAX

ISTAX vs HDV: Complete Analysis 2026

ISTAX — Stock

Normally the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities traded in the U.S. ICON believes that equity markets go through themes over time, simply stated, stocks in industries that were market leaders at one time tend to become overpriced relative to intrinsic value, and stocks in industries that were not in favor tend to drop below intrinsic value.

Full ISTAX Calculator →

HDV — ETF

The iShares Core High Dividend ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying U.S. equities.

Full HDV 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.