Is VLHYX or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

VLHYX currently yields 20.75% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 12.14% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: VLHYX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between VLHYX and RYLD?

VLHYX has a forward dividend yield of 20.75% ($2.00/share annually). RYLD yields 12.14% ($1.81/share annually). The yield gap is 8.61 percentage points.

Home › Compare › VLHYX vs RYLD

VLHYX vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

VLHYX yields 20.75% · RYLD yields 12.14%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 VLHYX wins by $31.9K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

VLHYX

● Live price

20.75%

Share price

$9.64

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$76.4K

Annual income

$7,292.41

Full VLHYX 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 — VLHYX vs RYLD

📍 VLHYX 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	VLHYX	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, VLHYX + 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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VLHYX 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.

VLHYX

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

$1,763.49/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$6,198.55/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, VLHYX beats the other by $3,999.30/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 VLHYX + RYLD for your $10,000?

VLHYX: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% VLHYX

Portfolio after 10yr

$60.5K

Annual income

$4,939.87/yr

Blended yield

8.17%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

VLHYX buys

RYLD buys

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

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

MetricVLHYXRYLD

Forward yield	20.75% ✓	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	$76.4K ✓	$44.5K
Annual income after 10y	$7,292.41 ✓	$2,587.35
Total dividends collected	$44.3K ✓	$18.8K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	VLHYX Portfolio	VLHYX Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$12,775	$2,074.69	$11,914	$1,213.65	+$861.00 → VLHYX
2	$16,146	$2,476.96	$14,099	$1,351.30	+$2.0K → VLHYX
3	$20,202	$2,925.82	$16,580	$1,494.55	+$3.6K → VLHYX
4	$25,037	$3,421.32	$19,384	$1,642.61	+$5.7K → VLHYX
5	$30,753	$3,962.84	$22,535	$1,794.70	+$8.2K → VLHYX
6	$37,455	$4,549.03	$26,063	$1,950.00	+$11.4K → VLHYX
7	$45,254	$5,177.91	$29,995	$2,107.69	+$15.3K → VLHYX
8	$54,269	$5,846.91	$34,361	$2,266.99	+$19.9K → VLHYX
9	$64,621	$6,552.91	$39,194	$2,427.12	+$25.4K → VLHYX
10	$76,437	$7,292.41	$44,525	$2,587.35	+$31.9K → VLHYX

VLHYX vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

VLHYX — Stock

The fund normally invests at least 80% of the fund's assets in securities the income of which is exempt from regular federal income taxation and will not subject non-corporate shareholders to the alternative minimum tax. It invests primarily in investment grade municipal bonds and the Advisor expects to maintain an average maturity of between 7 and 20 years.

Full VLHYX 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.