Is MLCIX or DGRO a better dividend investment in 2026?

MLCIX currently yields 9.65% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. DGRO yields 2.13% with 9.5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: MLCIX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between MLCIX and DGRO?

MLCIX has a forward dividend yield of 9.65% ($2.00/share annually). DGRO yields 2.13% ($1.47/share annually). The yield gap is 7.52 percentage points.

Home › Compare › MLCIX vs DGRO

MLCIX vs DGRO: Dividend Comparison 2026

MLCIX yields 9.65% · DGRO yields 2.13%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MLCIX wins by $6.2K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

MLCIX

● Live price

9.65%

Share price

$20.73

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$37.9K

Annual income

$1,770.34

Full MLCIX calculator →

DGRO

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

● Live price

2.13%

Share price

$68.98

Annual div

$1.47

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$31.6K

Annual income

$239.96

Full DGRO calculator →

Portfolio growth — MLCIX vs DGRO

📍 MLCIX 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	MLCIX	DGRO
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, MLCIX + DGRO cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

MLCIX pays

DGRO pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

MLCIX

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

$820.07/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$1,504.79/yr

DGRO

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

$181.24/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$203.97/yr

At 15% tax rate, MLCIX beats the other by $1,300.82/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 MLCIX + DGRO for your $10,000?

MLCIX: 50%DGRO: 50%

100% DGRO50/50100% MLCIX

Portfolio after 10yr

$34.7K

Annual income

$1,005.15/yr

Blended yield

2.89%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

MLCIX buys

DGRO buys

No recent congressional trades found for MLCIX or DGRO in the last 90 days.

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

MetricMLCIXDGRO

Forward yield	9.65% ✓	2.13%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00 ✓	$1.47
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$37.9K ✓	$31.6K
Annual income after 10y	$1,770.34 ✓	$239.96
Total dividends collected	$13.7K ✓	$2.3K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: MLCIX vs DGRO ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	MLCIX Portfolio	MLCIX Income/yr	DGRO Portfolio	DGRO Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,665	$964.79	$11,293	$213.22	+$372.00 → MLCIX
2	$13,533	$1,051.78	$12,730	$217.32	+$803.00 → MLCIX
3	$15,621	$1,140.41	$14,326	$221.10	+$1.3K → MLCIX
4	$17,945	$1,230.22	$16,098	$224.56	+$1.8K → MLCIX
5	$20,521	$1,320.77	$18,064	$227.74	+$2.5K → MLCIX
6	$23,370	$1,411.62	$20,246	$230.65	+$3.1K → MLCIX
7	$26,508	$1,502.37	$22,666	$233.30	+$3.8K → MLCIX
8	$29,956	$1,592.64	$25,349	$235.73	+$4.6K → MLCIX
9	$33,735	$1,682.07	$28,325	$237.94	+$5.4K → MLCIX
10	$37,867	$1,770.34	$31,624	$239.96	+$6.2K → MLCIX

MLCIX vs DGRO: Complete Analysis 2026

MLCIX — Stock

The fund invests at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of large-sized U.S. companies similar in size, at the time of purchase, to those within the Russell 1000® Growth Index. Columbia selects stocks using a unique, growth-oriented approach, focusing on high quality companies with sustainable earnings growth that are available at reasonable prices, which combines the use of proprietary analytical tools and the qualitative judgments of the investment team.

Full MLCIX Calculator →

DGRO — ETF

The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.

Full DGRO 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.