Is VHYAX or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

VHYAX currently yields 2.35% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 12.14% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: RYLD offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between VHYAX and RYLD?

VHYAX has a forward dividend yield of 2.35% ($1.05/share annually). RYLD yields 12.14% ($1.81/share annually). The yield gap is 9.79 percentage points.

Home › Compare › VHYAX vs RYLD

VHYAX vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

VHYAX yields 2.35% · RYLD yields 12.14%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 RYLD wins by $21.4K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

VHYAX

● Live price

2.35%

Share price

$44.66

Annual div

$1.05

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$23.2K

Annual income

$273.58

Full VHYAX 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 — VHYAX vs RYLD

📍 RYLD 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	VHYAX	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, VHYAX + 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

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

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Sep

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Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

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VHYAX 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.

VHYAX

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

$199.79/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$232.54/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, RYLD beats the other by $1,966.70/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 VHYAX + RYLD for your $10,000?

VHYAX: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% VHYAX

Portfolio after 10yr

$33.8K

Annual income

$1,430.46/yr

Blended yield

4.23%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

VHYAX buys

RYLD buys

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

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

MetricVHYAXRYLD

Forward yield	2.35%	12.14% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.05	$1.81 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$23.2K	$44.5K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$273.58	$2,587.35 ✓
Total dividends collected	$2.6K	$18.8K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	VHYAX Portfolio	VHYAX Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$10,935	$235.04	$11,914	$1,213.65	$979.00 → RYLD
2	$11,941	$240.21	$14,099	$1,351.30	$2.2K → RYLD
3	$13,022	$245.14	$16,580	$1,494.55	$3.6K → RYLD
4	$14,183	$249.84	$19,384	$1,642.61	$5.2K → RYLD
5	$15,430	$254.32	$22,535	$1,794.70	$7.1K → RYLD
6	$16,769	$258.58	$26,063	$1,950.00	$9.3K → RYLD
7	$18,205	$262.63	$29,995	$2,107.69	$11.8K → RYLD
8	$19,746	$266.48	$34,361	$2,266.99	$14.6K → RYLD
9	$21,399	$270.12	$39,194	$2,427.12	$17.8K → RYLD
10	$23,170	$273.58	$44,525	$2,587.35	$21.4K → RYLD

VHYAX vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

VHYAX — Stock

This index fund seeks to track a benchmark that provides broad exposure to U.S. companies that are dedicated to consistently paying larger-than-average dividends. In addition to general stock market risks, the fund’s emphasis on slower-growing, higher-yielding companies can also mean that its total return may not be as strong in a significant bull market. This income-focused fund may be appropriate for investors who have a long-term investment goal and a tolerance for stock market volatility.

Full VHYAX 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.