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LCO vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

LCO yields 7.91% · MRK yields 2.76%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 MRK wins by $23.0K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 5
10 years
LCO
LCO
● Live price
7.91%
Share price
$25.27
Annual div
$2.00
5Y div CAGR
0%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$33.8K
Annual income
$1,305.97
Full LCO calculator →
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.76%
Share price
$120.31
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$56.8K
Annual income
$9,798.13
Full MRK calculator →

Portfolio growth — LCO 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 PeriodLCOMRK
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%.
📅

Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, LCO + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

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

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

LCO
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$672.65/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$1,110.07/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$234.56/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,328.41/yr
At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $7,218.34/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

LCO: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% LCO
Portfolio after 10yr
$45.3K
Annual income
$5,552.05/yr
Blended yield
12.26%
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Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

LCO
No analyst data
MRK
Analyst Ratings
25
Buy
11
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+6.8% 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)

LCO buys
0
MRK buys
0
No recent congressional trades found for LCO or MRK in the last 90 days.
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricLCOMRK
Forward yield7.91%2.76%
Annual dividend / share$2.00$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR0%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$33.8K$56.8K
Annual income after 10y$1,305.97$9,798.13
Total dividends collected$10.5K$28.9K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare

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

YearLCO PortfolioLCO Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1$11,491$791.35$11,206$366.19+$285.00LCO
2$13,146$849.88$12,650$502.35+$496.00LCO
3$14,974$908.62$14,407$694.19+$567.00LCO
4$16,990$967.32$16,585$967.82+$405.00LCO
5← crossover$19,205$1,025.72$19,342$1,363.89$137.00MRK
6$21,633$1,083.59$22,913$1,947.19$1.3KMRK
7$24,288$1,140.73$27,662$2,823.89$3.4KMRK
8$27,185$1,196.95$34,159$4,173.35$7.0KMRK
9$30,340$1,252.07$43,337$6,308.80$13.0KMRK
10$33,770$1,305.97$56,776$9,798.13$23.0KMRK

LCO vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

LCOStock

LCO is actively managed and seeks total return through capital appreciation and income. It invests in US and foreign equity securities, preferred stocks, fixed income instruments, US Treasurys, and shares of other investment companies, including ETFs. The fund uses a contrarian investment approach, betting that the market is wrong. It buys companies others do not want based on valuation. Equity selection considers valuation, earnings growth, cash flow, balance sheet strength, industry outlook, competitive positioning, management quality, and macroeconomic trends. Fixed-income selection factors include credit quality, yield relative to duration, issuer fundamentals, liquidity, interest rate sensitivity, and diversification. The portfolio typically holds 30 to 75 positions, with equity as the majority. Option strategies are also used to generate income, hedge risks, and reduce volatility. The portfolio is reviewed regularly for reallocation.

Full LCO 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.