Is VFLAX or JEPI a better dividend investment in 2026?

VFLAX currently yields 6.40% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. JEPI yields 8.40% with 2.1% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: JEPI offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between VFLAX and JEPI?

VFLAX has a forward dividend yield of 6.40% ($1.72/share annually). JEPI yields 8.40% ($4.76/share annually). The yield gap is 2.00 percentage points.

Home › Compare › VFLAX vs JEPI

VFLAX vs JEPI: Dividend Comparison 2026

VFLAX yields 6.40% · JEPI yields 8.40%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 VFLAX wins by $1.6K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

VFLAX

● Live price

6.40%

Share price

$26.92

Annual div

$1.72

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$30.5K

Annual income

$962.66

Full VFLAX calculator →

JEPI

JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF

● Live price

8.40%

Share price

$56.68

Annual div

$4.76

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$29.0K

Annual income

$1,528.62

Full JEPI calculator →

Portfolio growth — VFLAX vs JEPI

📍 VFLAX 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	VFLAX	JEPI
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, VFLAX + JEPI cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

VFLAX pays

JEPI pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

VFLAX

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

$544.35/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$818.26/yr

JEPI

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

$714.16/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$1,299.33/yr

At 15% tax rate, JEPI beats the other by $481.07/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 VFLAX + JEPI for your $10,000?

VFLAX: 50%JEPI: 50%

100% JEPI50/50100% VFLAX

Portfolio after 10yr

$29.8K

Annual income

$1,245.64/yr

Blended yield

4.19%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

VFLAX buys

JEPI buys

No recent congressional trades found for VFLAX or JEPI in the last 90 days.

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

MetricVFLAXJEPI

Forward yield	6.40%	8.40% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.72	$4.76 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$30.5K ✓	$29.0K
Annual income after 10y	$962.66	$1,528.62 ✓
Total dividends collected	$8.1K	$11.7K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	monthly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: VFLAX vs JEPI ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	VFLAX Portfolio	VFLAX Income/yr	JEPI Portfolio	JEPI Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,340	$640.41	$11,260	$840.19	+$80.00 → VFLAX
2	$12,813	$678.74	$12,641	$907.94	+$172.00 → VFLAX
3	$14,427	$716.71	$14,150	$978.20	+$277.00 → VFLAX
4	$16,191	$754.18	$15,795	$1,050.85	+$396.00 → VFLAX
5	$18,115	$791.02	$17,584	$1,125.74	+$531.00 → VFLAX
6	$20,210	$827.14	$19,526	$1,202.74	+$684.00 → VFLAX
7	$22,487	$862.44	$21,628	$1,281.69	+$859.00 → VFLAX
8	$24,958	$896.83	$23,898	$1,362.43	+$1.1K → VFLAX
9	$27,636	$930.26	$26,347	$1,444.79	+$1.3K → VFLAX
10	$30,533	$962.66	$28,982	$1,528.62	+$1.6K → VFLAX

VFLAX vs JEPI: Complete Analysis 2026

VFLAX — Stock

First Trust Alternative Opportunities Fund, acts as Closed-End Investment Fund/Investment Trust. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.

Full VFLAX Calculator →

JEPI — ETF

The fund seeks to provide the majority of the returns associated with its primary benchmark, the Standard & Poor's 500 Total Return Index (S&P 500 Index), while exposing investors to less risk through lower volatility and still offering incremental income. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. It may also invest in other equity securities not included in the S&P 500 Index.

Full JEPI 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.