Is KAST or HDV a better dividend investment in 2026?

KAST currently yields 50.00% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. HDV yields 2.92% with 4.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: KAST offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between KAST and HDV?

KAST has a forward dividend yield of 50.00% ($2.00/share annually). HDV yields 2.92% ($3.96/share annually). The yield gap is 47.08 percentage points.

Home › Compare › KAST vs HDV

KAST vs HDV: Dividend Comparison 2026

KAST yields 50.00% · HDV yields 2.92%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 KAST wins by $369.7K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

KAST

● Live price

50.00%

Share price

$4.00

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$394.0K

Annual income

$79,849.97

Full KAST calculator →

HDV

iShares Core High Dividend ETF

● Live price

2.92%

Share price

$135.72

Annual div

$3.96

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$24.3K

Annual income

$351.71

Full HDV calculator →

Portfolio growth — KAST vs HDV

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

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

KAST pays

HDV pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

KAST

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

$4,250.00/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$67,872.47/yr

HDV

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

$247.92/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$298.95/yr

At 15% tax rate, KAST beats the other by $67,573.52/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 KAST + HDV for your $10,000?

KAST: 50%HDV: 50%

100% HDV50/50100% KAST

Portfolio after 10yr

$209.2K

Annual income

$40,100.84/yr

Blended yield

19.17%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

KAST buys

HDV buys

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

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

MetricKASTHDV

Forward yield	50.00% ✓	2.92%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$3.96 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$394.0K ✓	$24.3K
Annual income after 10y	$79,849.97 ✓	$351.71
Total dividends collected	$314.4K ✓	$3.2K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	KAST Portfolio	KAST Income/yr	HDV Portfolio	HDV Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$15,700	$5,000.00	$11,002	$291.67	+$4.7K → KAST
2	$24,135	$7,336.45	$12,082	$299.61	+$12.1K → KAST
3	$36,365	$10,540.42	$13,247	$307.23	+$23.1K → KAST
4	$53,753	$14,842.48	$14,503	$314.52	+$39.3K → KAST
5	$78,020	$20,504.11	$15,854	$321.50	+$62.2K → KAST
6	$111,295	$27,813.68	$17,308	$328.15	+$94.0K → KAST
7	$156,166	$37,080.39	$18,871	$334.49	+$137.3K → KAST
8	$215,724	$48,626.29	$20,551	$340.53	+$195.2K → KAST
9	$293,602	$62,776.77	$22,357	$346.27	+$271.2K → KAST
10	$394,004	$79,849.97	$24,296	$351.71	+$369.7K → KAST

KAST vs HDV: Complete Analysis 2026

KAST — Stock

Kasten, Inc., doing business as DAKOTA Life Sciences, operates as a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of pharmaceuticals designed to prevent and treat serious conditions arising in hospital and community settings. It principally focuses on delivering solutions to those people who are affected by antimicrobial resistance and who need pharmaceutical products at affordable prices. The company was incorporated in 1986 and is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Full KAST 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.