Is MDLX or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

MDLX currently yields 104.17% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: MDLX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between MDLX and VYM?

MDLX has a forward dividend yield of 104.17% ($2.00/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 101.76 percentage points.

Home › Compare › MDLX vs VYM

MDLX vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

MDLX yields 104.17% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MDLX wins by $15.7K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

MDLX

● Live price

104.17%

Share price

$1.92

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

-50%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$43.5K

Annual income

$22.49

Full MDLX calculator →

VYM

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

● Live price

2.41%

Share price

$145.48

Annual div

$3.51

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$27.8K

Annual income

$278.55

Full VYM calculator →

Portfolio growth — MDLX vs VYM

📍 MDLX 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	MDLX	VYM
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, MDLX + VYM 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

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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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MDLX pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

MDLX

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

$8,854.17/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$19.12/yr

VYM

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

$205.23/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$236.77/yr

At 15% tax rate, VYM beats the other by $217.65/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 MDLX + VYM for your $10,000?

MDLX: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% MDLX

Portfolio after 10yr

$35.7K

Annual income

$150.51/yr

Blended yield

0.42%

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Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

MDLX buys

VYM buys

Politician	Chamber	Ticker	Type	Amount	Date
Carol Devine Miller	🏢 House	$VYM	▲ Buy	$15,001 - $50,000	2022-11-02

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

MetricMDLXVYM

Forward yield	104.17% ✓	2.41%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$3.51 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	-50%	0% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$43.5K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$22.49	$278.55 ✓
Total dividends collected	$14.1K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: MDLX vs VYM ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	MDLX Portfolio	MDLX Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$15,908	$5,208.33	$11,151	$241.44	+$4.8K → MDLX
2	$20,894	$3,871.77	$12,413	$246.79	+$8.5K → MDLX
3	$24,732	$2,376.22	$13,794	$251.79	+$10.9K → MDLX
4	$27,778	$1,314.39	$15,306	$256.47	+$12.5K → MDLX
5	$30,412	$689.84	$16,960	$260.84	+$13.5K → MDLX
6	$32,894	$352.92	$18,768	$264.92	+$14.1K → MDLX
7	$35,375	$178.38	$20,745	$268.71	+$14.6K → MDLX
8	$37,941	$89.64	$22,905	$272.24	+$15.0K → MDLX
9	$40,642	$44.93	$25,265	$275.51	+$15.4K → MDLX
10	$43,509	$22.49	$27,842	$278.55	+$15.7K → MDLX

MDLX vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

MDLX — Stock

MDLX is a dividend-paying stock. Use this calculator to estimate your future dividend income, DRIP compounding returns, and passive income potential from investing in MDLX shares.

Full MDLX Calculator →

VYM — ETF

Seeks to track the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, which measures the investment return of common stocks of companies characterized by high dividend yields. Provides a convenient way to track the performance of stocks that are forecasted to have above-average dividend yields. Follows a passively managed, full-replication approach.

Full VYM 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.