Is MRK or HOLX a better dividend investment in 2026?

MRK currently yields 3.25% with a 8.2% 5-year dividend growth rate. HOLX yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: HOLX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between MRK and HOLX?

MRK has a forward dividend yield of 3.25% ($3.08/share annually). HOLX yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 0.75 percentage points.

Home › Compare › MRK vs HOLX

MRK vs HOLX: Dividend Comparison 2026

MRK yields 3.25% · HOLX yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MRK wins by $2.7K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

MRK

Merck & Co. Inc.

● Live price

3.25%

Share price

$94.80

Annual div

$3.08

5Y div CAGR

8.2%

Payout ratio

42%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$30.7K

Annual income

$950.29

Full MRK calculator →

HOLX

● Live price

4.00%

Share price

$50.00

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$28.0K

Annual income

$899.19

Full HOLX calculator →

Portfolio growth — MRK vs HOLX

📍 MRK 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	MRK	HOLX
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, MRK + HOLX cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

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Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

MRK pays

HOLX pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

MRK

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

$276.16/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$807.75/yr

HOLX

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

$340.00/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$764.31/yr

At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $43.43/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

MRK: 50%HOLX: 50%

100% HOLX50/50100% MRK

Portfolio after 10yr

$29.4K

Annual income

$924.75/yr

Blended yield

3.15%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

MRK buys

HOLX buys

No recent congressional trades found for MRK or HOLX in the last 90 days.

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

MetricMRKHOLX

Forward yield	3.25%	4.00% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$3.08 ✓	$2.00
Payout ratio	42% ✓	50%
1-year div growth	5.5% ✓	5%
5-year div CAGR	8.2% ✓	5%
Portfolio after 10y	$30.7K ✓	$28.0K
Annual income after 10y	$950.29 ✓	$899.19
Total dividends collected	$6.1K	$6.4K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Healthcare	Healthcare

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

Year	MRK Portfolio	MRK Income/yr	HOLX Portfolio	HOLX Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,192	$351.54	$11,120	$420.00	+$72.00 → MRK
2	$12,524	$392.70	$12,357	$458.31	+$167.00 → MRK
3	$14,015	$438.65	$13,721	$499.76	+$294.00 → MRK
4	$15,682	$489.96	$15,227	$544.58	+$455.00 → MRK
5	$17,547	$547.23	$16,885	$593.02	+$662.00 → MRK
6	$19,632	$611.16	$18,713	$645.34	+$919.00 → MRK
7	$21,963	$682.53	$20,724	$701.81	+$1.2K → MRK
8	$24,571	$762.18	$22,938	$762.73	+$1.6K → MRK
9	$27,486	$851.08	$25,372	$828.41	+$2.1K → MRK
10	$30,745	$950.29	$28,047	$899.19	+$2.7K → MRK

MRK vs HOLX: Complete Analysis 2026

MRK — Healthcare

Merck is a Dividend Aristocrat with 14+ consecutive years of increases. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is the world's best-selling cancer drug and drives exceptional cash generation. The company's oncology and vaccines pipeline provides long-term growth visibility beyond the Keytruda patent cliff in the 2030s.

Full MRK Calculator →

HOLX — Healthcare

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

Full HOLX 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.