Is XLC or PEP a better dividend investment in 2026?

XLC currently yields 1.26% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. PEP yields 3.69% with 6.7% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: PEP offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between XLC and PEP?

XLC has a forward dividend yield of 1.26% ($1.40/share annually). PEP yields 3.69% ($5.42/share annually). The yield gap is 2.43 percentage points.

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XLC vs PEP: Dividend Comparison 2026

XLC yields 1.26% · PEP yields 3.69%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 PEP wins by $18.00 in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 10

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

XLC

● Live price

1.26%

Share price

$110.86

Annual div

$1.40

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$21.5K

Annual income

$136.67

Full XLC calculator →

PEP

PepsiCo Inc.

● Live price

3.69%

Share price

$146.80

Annual div

$5.42

5Y div CAGR

6.7%

Payout ratio

72%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$21.5K

Annual income

$1,034.52

Full PEP calculator →

Portfolio growth — XLC vs PEP

📍 PEP pulled ahead of the other in Year 10

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis Period	XLC	PEP
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, XLC + PEP cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

XLC pays

PEP pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

XLC

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

$107.06/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$116.17/yr

PEP

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

$313.83/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$879.34/yr

At 15% tax rate, PEP beats the other by $763.17/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of XLC + PEP for your $10,000?

XLC: 50%PEP: 50%

100% PEP50/50100% XLC

Portfolio after 10yr

$21.5K

Annual income

$585.60/yr

Blended yield

2.72%

📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on PEP right now

XLC

No analyst data

PEP

Analyst Ratings

Strong

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Hold

Price Target

$172.43

+17.5% upside vs current

Range: $156.00 — $191.00

Altman Z

3.6

Piotroski

7/9

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)

XLC buys

PEP buys

No recent congressional trades found for XLC or PEP in the last 90 days.

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

MetricXLCPEP

Forward yield	1.26%	3.69% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.40	$5.42 ✓
Payout ratio	50% ✓	72%
1-year div growth	0%	7.1% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	6.7% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$21.5K	$21.5K
Annual income after 10y	$136.67	$1,034.52 ✓
Total dividends collected	$1.3K	$6.6K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	ETF	Consumer Staples

Year-by-year: XLC vs PEP ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	XLC Portfolio	XLC Income/yr	PEP Portfolio	PEP Income/yr	Gap
1	$10,826	$125.95	$10,734	$393.95	+$92.00 → XLC
2	$11,711	$127.44	$11,535	$436.36	+$176.00 → XLC
3	$12,660	$128.84	$12,411	$483.90	+$249.00 → XLC
4	$13,676	$130.16	$13,371	$537.26	+$305.00 → XLC
5	$14,765	$131.41	$14,422	$597.26	+$343.00 → XLC
6	$15,931	$132.59	$15,578	$664.81	+$353.00 → XLC
7	$17,180	$133.71	$16,848	$740.97	+$332.00 → XLC
8	$18,517	$134.76	$18,248	$826.99	+$269.00 → XLC
9	$19,949	$135.74	$19,793	$924.28	+$156.00 → XLC
10← crossover	$21,482	$136.67	$21,500	$1,034.52	$18.00 → PEP

XLC vs PEP: Complete Analysis 2026

XLC — ETF

The State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Communication Services Select Sector Index (the "Index")The Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the communication services sector of the S&P 500 IndexSeeks to provide precise exposure to companies from telecommunication services, media, entertainment and interactive media & services.Allows investors to take strategic or tactical positions at a more targeted level than traditional style based investing

Full XLC Calculator →

PEP — Consumer Staples

PepsiCo is a Dividend King with 52+ consecutive years of increases. Its diversified portfolio spans beverages and snacks via brands including Pepsi, Gatorade, Lay's, and Quaker. Snack food exposure provides more stable volumes than pure beverages. International expansion in emerging markets drives long-term growth.

Full PEP 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.