Is MRLN or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

MRLN currently yields 27.21% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 12.14% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: MRLN offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between MRLN and RYLD?

MRLN has a forward dividend yield of 27.21% ($2.00/share annually). RYLD yields 12.14% ($1.81/share annually). The yield gap is 15.07 percentage points.

Home › Compare › MRLN vs RYLD

MRLN vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

MRLN yields 27.21% · RYLD yields 12.14%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MRLN wins by $68.0K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

MRLN

● Live price

27.21%

Share price

$7.35

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$112.5K

Annual income

$13,675.30

Full MRLN calculator →

RYLD

● Live price

12.14%

Share price

$14.95

Annual div

$1.81

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$44.5K

Annual income

$2,587.35

Full RYLD calculator →

Portfolio growth — MRLN vs RYLD

📍 MRLN 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	MRLN	RYLD
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, MRLN + RYLD 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

—

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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MRLN pays

RYLD pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

MRLN

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

$2,312.93/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$11,624.01/yr

RYLD

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

$1,031.60/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$2,199.25/yr

At 15% tax rate, MRLN beats the other by $9,424.76/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 MRLN + RYLD for your $10,000?

MRLN: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% MRLN

Portfolio after 10yr

$78.5K

Annual income

$8,131.32/yr

Blended yield

10.35%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

MRLN buys

RYLD buys

No recent congressional trades found for MRLN or RYLD in the last 90 days.

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

MetricMRLNRYLD

Forward yield	27.21% ✓	12.14%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00 ✓	$1.81
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$112.5K ✓	$44.5K
Annual income after 10y	$13,675.30 ✓	$2,587.35
Total dividends collected	$73.9K ✓	$18.8K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: MRLN vs RYLD ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	MRLN Portfolio	MRLN Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$13,421	$2,721.09	$11,914	$1,213.65	+$1.5K → MRLN
2	$17,774	$3,413.08	$14,099	$1,351.30	+$3.7K → MRLN
3	$23,242	$4,224.27	$16,580	$1,494.55	+$6.7K → MRLN
4	$30,032	$5,162.57	$19,384	$1,642.61	+$10.6K → MRLN
5	$38,368	$6,234.27	$22,535	$1,794.70	+$15.8K → MRLN
6	$48,498	$7,443.78	$26,063	$1,950.00	+$22.4K → MRLN
7	$60,686	$8,793.47	$29,995	$2,107.69	+$30.7K → MRLN
8	$75,218	$10,283.58	$34,361	$2,266.99	+$40.9K → MRLN
9	$92,395	$11,912.19	$39,194	$2,427.12	+$53.2K → MRLN
10	$112,538	$13,675.30	$44,525	$2,587.35	+$68.0K → MRLN

MRLN vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

MRLN — Stock

Merlin, Inc. is an aerospace and defense technology company focused on developing autonomous flight solutions. The company is building an operating system of record for autonomous aviation, with its Merlin Pilot system enabling a wide range of aircraft and mission profiles. Its technology has been validated through hundreds of autonomous flights conducted at test facilities worldwide. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Full MRLN Calculator →

RYLD — ETF

The Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Cboe Russell 2000 BuyWrite Index.

Full RYLD 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.