HomeCompareUSM vs MRK

USM vs MRK: Dividend Comparison 2026

USM yields 2.60% · MRK yields 2.81%● Live data

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After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 MRK wins by $34.1K in total portfolio value
10 years
USM
USM
● Live price
2.60%
Share price
$77.01
Annual div
$2.00
5Y div CAGR
0%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$23.6K
Annual income
$307.09
Full USM calculator →
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 →

Portfolio growth — USM vs MRK

📍 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 PeriodUSMMRK
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, USM + MRK cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
USM pays
MRK pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

USM
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$220.75/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$261.03/yr
MRK
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$238.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$8,596.71/yr
At 15% tax rate, MRK beats the other by $8,335.69/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 USM + MRK for your $10,000?

USM: 50%MRK: 50%
100% MRK50/50100% USM
Portfolio after 10yr
$40.6K
Annual income
$5,210.43/yr
Blended yield
12.82%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on MRK right now

USM
Analyst Ratings
4
Buy
5
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Hold
Price Target
$80.50
+4.5% upside vs current
Range: $75.00 — $86.00
Altman Z
2.1
Piotroski
5/9
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
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)

USM buys
0
MRK buys
8
PoliticianChamberTickerTypeAmountDate
Josh Gottheimer🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002026-02-04
Michael McCaul🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$15,001 - $50,0002026-01-13
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-19
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-12-18
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-11-13
Ro Khanna🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-29
Val Hoyle🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-23
Marjorie Taylor Greene🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-28
Julie Johnson🏢 House$MRK▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-14
Gilbert Cisneros🏢 House$MRK▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-08-05
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricUSMMRK
Forward yield2.60%2.81%
Annual dividend / share$2.00$3.32
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR0%32.7%
Portfolio after 10y$23.6K$57.7K
Annual income after 10y$307.09$10,113.78
Total dividends collected$2.8K$29.8K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockHealthcare
Analyst consensusHoldBuy
Analyst price target$80.50$128.54

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

YearUSM PortfolioUSM Income/yrMRK PortfolioMRK Income/yrGap
1← crossover$10,960$259.71$11,213$373.04$253.00MRK
2$11,993$266.01$12,667$512.06$674.00MRK
3$13,104$272.04$14,439$708.14$1.3KMRK
4$14,300$277.81$16,640$988.16$2.3KMRK
5$15,584$283.32$19,432$1,394.07$3.8KMRK
6$16,963$288.56$23,057$1,992.90$6.1KMRK
7$18,444$293.56$27,889$2,894.79$9.4KMRK
8$20,034$298.30$34,518$4,286.29$14.5KMRK
9$21,739$302.81$43,912$6,494.35$22.2KMRK
10$23,568$307.09$57,714$10,113.78$34.1KMRK

USM vs MRK: Complete Analysis 2026

USMStock

United States Cellular Corporation provides wireless telecommunications services in the United States. The company offers wireless services, including voice, messaging, and data services. It also provides devices, such as smartphones and other handsets, tablets, wearables, mobile hotspots, routers, and internet of things devices. In addition, the company offers various accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards; and consumer electronics, including audio, home automation, and networking products; as well as offers option to purchase devices and accessories under installment contracts. Further, the company offers roaming, wireless eligible telecommunications carrier, and wireless tower rental services. It serves consumer, business, and government customers with 5.0 million connections, including 4.4 million postpaid, 0.5 million prepaid, and 0.1 million reseller and other connections in 21 states. The company provides its products and services through retail sales, direct sales, third-party national retailers, and independent agents, as well as e-commerce and telesales. The company was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. United States Cellular Corporation is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Full USM Calculator →

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 →
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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.