HomeCompareMRK vs NSC

MRK vs NSC: Dividend Comparison 2026

MRK yields 2.81% · NSC yields 1.91%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 NSC wins by $9.0K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 9
10 years
MRK
Merck & Co. Inc.
● Live price
2.81%
Share price
$118.10
Annual div
$3.32
5Y div CAGR
32.7%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$57.7K
Annual income
$10,113.78
Full MRK calculator →
NSC
NSC
● Live price
1.91%
Share price
$282.50
Annual div
$5.40
5Y div CAGR
43.6%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$66.7K
Annual income
$17,746.55
Full NSC calculator →

Portfolio growth — MRK vs NSC

📍 NSC pulled ahead of the other in Year 9

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis PeriodMRKNSC
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, MRK + NSC cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
MRK pays
NSC 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)
$238.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,596.71/yr
NSC
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$162.48/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$15,084.57/yr
At 15% tax rate, NSC beats the other by $6,487.85/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

MRK: 50%NSC: 50%
100% NSC50/50100% MRK
Portfolio after 10yr
$62.2K
Annual income
$13,930.17/yr
Blended yield
22.39%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

MRK
Analyst Ratings
24
Buy
12
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$128.54
+8.8% upside vs current
Range: $100.00 — $150.00
Altman Z
4.0
Piotroski
6/9
NSC
Analyst Ratings
21
Buy
24
Hold
3
Sell
Consensus: Hold
Price Target
$315.33
+11.6% upside vs current
Range: $288.00 — $342.00
Altman Z
2.3
Piotroski
7/9
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)

MRK buys
0
NSC buys
0
No recent congressional trades found for MRK or NSC in the last 90 days.
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricMRKNSC
Forward yield2.81%1.91%
Annual dividend / share$3.32$5.40
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR32.7%43.6%
Portfolio after 10y$57.7K$66.7K
Annual income after 10y$10,113.78$17,746.55
Total dividends collected$29.8K$42.2K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorHealthcareStock
Analyst consensusBuyHold
Analyst price target$128.54$315.33

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

YearMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrNSC PortfolioNSC Income/yrGap
1$11,213$373.04$10,974$274.49+$239.00MRK
2$12,667$512.06$12,147$404.28+$520.00MRK
3$14,439$708.14$13,598$600.54+$841.00MRK
4$16,640$988.16$15,452$902.22+$1.2KMRK
5$19,432$1,394.07$17,909$1,375.92+$1.5KMRK
6$23,057$1,992.90$21,303$2,140.25+$1.8KMRK
7$27,889$2,894.79$26,211$3,416.66+$1.7KMRK
8$34,518$4,286.29$33,688$5,641.72+$830.00MRK
9← crossover$43,912$6,494.35$45,777$9,731.21$1.9KNSC
10$57,714$10,113.78$66,728$17,746.55$9.0KNSC

MRK vs NSC: Complete Analysis 2026

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 →

NSCStock

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, scrap paper, beverages, canned goods, and consumer products; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, and sand; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal. It also transports overseas freight through various Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports; and provides commuter rail passenger transportation services and operates an intermodal network. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated approximately 19,300 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Norfolk Southern Corporation was incorporated in 1980 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Full NSC 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.