Is XLU or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

XLU currently yields 2.59% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: RYLD offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between XLU and RYLD?

XLU has a forward dividend yield of 2.59% ($1.19/share annually). RYLD yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 1.41 percentage points.

Home › Compare › XLU vs RYLD

XLU vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

XLU yields 2.59% · RYLD yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 RYLD wins by $4.5K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

XLU

● Live price

2.59%

Share price

$45.87

Annual div

$1.19

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$23.6K

Annual income

$306.57

Full XLU calculator →

RYLD

● Live price

4.00%

Share price

$50.00

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$28.0K

Annual income

$899.19

Full RYLD calculator →

Portfolio growth — XLU 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	XLU	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, XLU + RYLD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

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Jun

—

Jul

—

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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XLU 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.

XLU

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

$220.43/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$260.58/yr

RYLD

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

$340.00/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$764.31/yr

At 15% tax rate, RYLD beats the other by $503.73/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 XLU + RYLD for your $10,000?

XLU: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% XLU

Portfolio after 10yr

$25.8K

Annual income

$602.89/yr

Blended yield

2.34%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

XLU buys

RYLD buys

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

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

MetricXLURYLD

Forward yield	2.59%	4.00% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.19	$2.00 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	5% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$23.6K	$28.0K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$306.57	$899.19 ✓
Total dividends collected	$2.8K	$6.4K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	ETF	ETF

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

Year	XLU Portfolio	XLU Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$10,959	$259.33	$11,120	$420.00	$161.00 → RYLD
2	$11,992	$265.62	$12,357	$458.31	$365.00 → RYLD
3	$13,103	$271.63	$13,721	$499.76	$618.00 → RYLD
4	$14,298	$277.39	$15,227	$544.58	$929.00 → RYLD
5	$15,582	$282.87	$16,885	$593.02	$1.3K → RYLD
6	$16,960	$288.10	$18,713	$645.34	$1.8K → RYLD
7	$18,441	$293.08	$20,724	$701.81	$2.3K → RYLD
8	$20,029	$297.82	$22,938	$762.73	$2.9K → RYLD
9	$21,734	$302.31	$25,372	$828.41	$3.6K → RYLD
10	$23,562	$306.57	$28,047	$899.19	$4.5K → RYLD

XLU vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

XLU — ETF

The State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Utilities Select Sector Index (the "Index").The Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the utilities sector of the S&P 500 Index.Seeks to provide precise exposure to companies from the electric utilities; water utilities; multi-utilities, independent power and renewable electricity producers; and gas utility industries.Allows investors to take strategic or tactical positions at a more targeted level than traditional style based investing.

Full XLU Calculator →

RYLD — ETF

RYLD is a dividend-paying stock. Use this calculator to estimate your future dividend income, DRIP compounding returns, and passive income potential from investing in RYLD shares.

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.