Is MSEX or VAR a better dividend investment in 2026?

MSEX currently yields 2.65% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VAR yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: VAR offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between MSEX and VAR?

MSEX has a forward dividend yield of 2.65% ($1.40/share annually). VAR yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 1.35 percentage points.

Home › Compare › MSEX vs VAR

MSEX vs VAR: Dividend Comparison 2026

MSEX yields 2.65% · VAR yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 MSEX wins by $20.6K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 3

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

MSEX

● Live price

2.65%

Share price

$52.74

Annual div

$1.40

5Y div CAGR

31.2%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$48.7K

Annual income

$8,246.31

Full MSEX calculator →

VAR

● 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 VAR calculator →

Portfolio growth — MSEX vs VAR

📍 MSEX pulled ahead of the other in Year 3

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	MSEX	VAR
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, MSEX + VAR cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

MSEX pays

VAR pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

MSEX

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

$225.64/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$7,009.36/yr

VAR

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, MSEX beats the other by $6,245.05/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 MSEX + VAR for your $10,000?

MSEX: 50%VAR: 50%

100% VAR50/50100% MSEX

Portfolio after 10yr

$38.4K

Annual income

$4,572.76/yr

Blended yield

11.92%

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Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on VAR right now

MSEX

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Consensus: Buy

Price Target

$53.50

+1.4% upside vs current

Range: $52.00 — $55.00

Altman Z

1.1

Piotroski

4/9

VAR

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Hold

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)

MSEX buys

VAR buys

No recent congressional trades found for MSEX or VAR in the last 90 days.

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

MetricMSEXVAR

Forward yield	2.65%	4.00% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.40	$2.00 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	31.2% ✓	5%
Portfolio after 10y	$48.7K ✓	$28.0K
Annual income after 10y	$8,246.31 ✓	$899.19
Total dividends collected	$25.1K ✓	$6.4K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	Stock
Analyst consensus	Buy	Hold

Year-by-year: MSEX vs VAR ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	MSEX Portfolio	MSEX Income/yr	VAR Portfolio	VAR Income/yr	Gap
1	$11,048	$348.27	$11,120	$420.00	$72.00 → VAR
2	$12,293	$471.81	$12,357	$458.31	$64.00 → VAR
3← crossover	$13,798	$643.72	$13,721	$499.76	+$77.00 → MSEX
4	$15,649	$885.89	$15,227	$544.58	+$422.00 → MSEX
5	$17,977	$1,232.03	$16,885	$593.02	+$1.1K → MSEX
6	$20,971	$1,735.35	$18,713	$645.34	+$2.3K → MSEX
7	$24,921	$2,482.19	$20,724	$701.81	+$4.2K → MSEX
8	$30,282	$3,616.88	$22,938	$762.73	+$7.3K → MSEX
9	$37,791	$5,389.01	$25,372	$828.41	+$12.4K → MSEX
10	$48,683	$8,246.31	$28,047	$899.19	+$20.6K → MSEX

MSEX vs VAR: Complete Analysis 2026

MSEX — Stock

Middlesex Water Company owns and operates regulated water utility and wastewater systems. It operates in two segments, Regulated and Non-Regulated. The Regulated segment collects, treats, and distributes water on a retail and wholesale basis to residential, commercial, industrial, and fire protection customers, as well as provides regulated wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware. The Non-Regulated segment provides non-regulated contract services for the operation and maintenance of municipal and private water and wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware. The company was incorporated in 1896 and is headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey.

Full MSEX Calculator →

VAR — Stock

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

Full VAR 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.