Is WSTAX or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

WSTAX currently yields 18.69% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 12.14% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: WSTAX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between WSTAX and RYLD?

WSTAX has a forward dividend yield of 18.69% ($10.60/share annually). RYLD yields 12.14% ($1.81/share annually). The yield gap is 6.55 percentage points.

Home › Compare › WSTAX vs RYLD

WSTAX vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

WSTAX yields 18.69% · RYLD yields 12.14%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 WSTAX wins by $22.8K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

WSTAX

● Live price

18.69%

Share price

$56.73

Annual div

$10.60

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$67.4K

Annual income

$5,844.95

Full WSTAX 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 — WSTAX vs RYLD

📍 WSTAX 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	WSTAX	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, WSTAX + RYLD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

WSTAX 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.

WSTAX

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

$1,588.68/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$4,968.21/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, WSTAX beats the other by $2,768.96/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 WSTAX + RYLD for your $10,000?

WSTAX: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% WSTAX

Portfolio after 10yr

$55.9K

Annual income

$4,216.14/yr

Blended yield

7.54%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

WSTAX buys

RYLD buys

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

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

MetricWSTAXRYLD

Forward yield	18.69% ✓	12.14%
Annual dividend / share	$10.60 ✓	$1.81
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$67.4K ✓	$44.5K
Annual income after 10y	$5,844.95 ✓	$2,587.35
Total dividends collected	$37.0K ✓	$18.8K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	WSTAX Portfolio	WSTAX Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$12,569	$1,869.03	$11,914	$1,213.65	+$655.00 → WSTAX
2	$15,644	$2,195.51	$14,099	$1,351.30	+$1.5K → WSTAX
3	$19,293	$2,553.92	$16,580	$1,494.55	+$2.7K → WSTAX
4	$23,588	$2,943.57	$19,384	$1,642.61	+$4.2K → WSTAX
5	$28,602	$3,363.29	$22,535	$1,794.70	+$6.1K → WSTAX
6	$34,416	$3,811.48	$26,063	$1,950.00	+$8.4K → WSTAX
7	$41,111	$4,286.17	$29,995	$2,107.69	+$11.1K → WSTAX
8	$48,774	$4,785.05	$34,361	$2,266.99	+$14.4K → WSTAX
9	$57,493	$5,305.57	$39,194	$2,427.12	+$18.3K → WSTAX
10	$67,363	$5,844.95	$44,525	$2,587.35	+$22.8K → WSTAX

WSTAX vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

WSTAX — Stock

The fund invests primarily in the equity securities of science and technology companies around the globe. Under normal circumstances, it invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of science or technology companies. The fund also may invest in companies that utilize science and/or technology as an agent of change to significantly enhance their business opportunities. It may invest in securities issued by companies of any size, and may invest without limitation in foreign securities, including securities of issuers within emerging markets. The fund is non-diversified.

Full WSTAX 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.