Is XYLD or WAB a better dividend investment in 2026?

XYLD currently yields 9.02% with a 0.5% 5-year dividend growth rate. WAB yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: XYLD offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between XYLD and WAB?

XYLD has a forward dividend yield of 9.02% ($3.48/share annually). WAB yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 5.02 percentage points.

Home › Compare › XYLD vs WAB

XYLD vs WAB: Dividend Comparison 2026

XYLD yields 9.02% · WAB yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 WAB wins by $6.9K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

XYLD

Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF

● Live price

9.02%

Share price

$38.60

Annual div

$3.48

5Y div CAGR

0.5%

Payout ratio

90%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$21.1K

Annual income

$2,363.75

Full XYLD calculator →

WAB

● 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 WAB calculator →

Portfolio growth — XYLD vs WAB

📍 WAB pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

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	XYLD	WAB
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, XYLD + WAB cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

XYLD pays

WAB pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

XYLD

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

$766.32/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$2,009.19/yr

WAB

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, XYLD beats the other by $1,244.88/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 XYLD + WAB for your $10,000?

XYLD: 50%WAB: 50%

100% WAB50/50100% XYLD

Portfolio after 10yr

$24.6K

Annual income

$1,631.48/yr

Blended yield

6.63%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

XYLD buys

WAB buys

No recent congressional trades found for XYLD or WAB in the last 90 days.

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

MetricXYLDWAB

Forward yield	9.02% ✓	4.00%
Annual dividend / share	$3.48 ✓	$2.00
Payout ratio	90%	50% ✓
1-year div growth	-2.1%	5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0.5%	5% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$21.1K	$28.0K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$2,363.75 ✓	$899.19
Total dividends collected	$15.0K ✓	$6.4K
Payment frequency	monthly	quarterly
Sector	ETF	Stock

Year-by-year: XYLD vs WAB ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	XYLD Portfolio	XYLD Income/yr	WAB Portfolio	WAB Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$10,626	$906.06	$11,120	$420.00	$494.00 → WAB
2	$11,324	$995.47	$12,357	$458.31	$1.0K → WAB
3	$12,104	$1,096.88	$13,721	$499.76	$1.6K → WAB
4	$12,977	$1,212.21	$15,227	$544.58	$2.3K → WAB
5	$13,958	$1,343.80	$16,885	$593.02	$2.9K → WAB
6	$15,061	$1,494.40	$18,713	$645.34	$3.7K → WAB
7	$16,307	$1,667.30	$20,724	$701.81	$4.4K → WAB
8	$17,717	$1,866.48	$22,938	$762.73	$5.2K → WAB
9	$19,317	$2,096.71	$25,372	$828.41	$6.1K → WAB
10	$21,140	$2,363.75	$28,047	$899.19	$6.9K → WAB

XYLD vs WAB: Complete Analysis 2026

XYLD — ETF

XYLD sells covered calls on the S&P 500, converting equity volatility into monthly income. Yields 8-10% depending on market conditions. Similar to QYLD but with S&P 500 exposure — less volatile but comparable income mechanics. Popular for retirement income portfolios alongside other dividend ETFs.

Full XYLD Calculator →

WAB — Stock

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

Full WAB 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.