Is ZMLP or CL a better dividend investment in 2026?

ZMLP currently yields 3.74% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. CL yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: CL offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between ZMLP and CL?

ZMLP has a forward dividend yield of 3.74% ($2.00/share annually). CL yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 0.26 percentage points.

Home › Compare › ZMLP vs CL

ZMLP vs CL: Dividend Comparison 2026

ZMLP yields 3.74% · CL yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 CL wins by $2.6K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

ZMLP

● Live price

3.74%

Share price

$53.54

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$25.5K

Annual income

$474.86

Full ZMLP calculator →

● 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 CL calculator →

Portfolio growth — ZMLP vs CL

📍 CL 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	ZMLP	CL
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, ZMLP + CL cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

ZMLP pays

CL pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

ZMLP

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

$317.50/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$403.63/yr

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, CL beats the other by $360.68/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of ZMLP + CL for your $10,000?

ZMLP: 50%CL: 50%

100% CL50/50100% ZMLP

Portfolio after 10yr

$26.8K

Annual income

$687.03/yr

Blended yield

2.57%

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Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on CL right now

ZMLP

No analyst data

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Hold

Price Target

$92.45

+84.9% upside vs current

Range: $85.00 — $100.00

Altman Z

4.5

Piotroski

6/9

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.

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Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ZMLP buys

CL buys

No recent congressional trades found for ZMLP or CL in the last 90 days.

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

MetricZMLPCL

Forward yield	3.74%	4.00% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$2.00
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	5% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$25.5K	$28.0K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$474.86	$899.19 ✓
Total dividends collected	$4.3K	$6.4K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	Consumer Staples

Year-by-year: ZMLP vs CL ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	ZMLP Portfolio	ZMLP Income/yr	CL Portfolio	CL Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,074	$373.53	$11,120	$420.00	$46.00 → CL
2	$12,235	$386.57	$12,357	$458.31	$122.00 → CL
3	$13,491	$399.18	$13,721	$499.76	$230.00 → CL
4	$14,847	$411.35	$15,227	$544.58	$380.00 → CL
5	$16,309	$423.07	$16,885	$593.02	$576.00 → CL
6	$17,885	$434.34	$18,713	$645.34	$828.00 → CL
7	$19,582	$445.15	$20,724	$701.81	$1.1K → CL
8	$21,408	$455.51	$22,938	$762.73	$1.5K → CL
9	$23,372	$465.41	$25,372	$828.41	$2.0K → CL
10	$25,483	$474.86	$28,047	$899.19	$2.6K → CL

ZMLP vs CL: Complete Analysis 2026

ZMLP — Stock

The investment seeks investment results, before fees and expenses, that track the price and yield performance of the Zacks MLP High Income Index. The fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its net assets in the securities that comprise the index. The index is comprised of 25 securities selected from a universe of master limited partnerships ("MLPs") listed on U.S. exchanges. The fund is non-diversified.

Full ZMLP Calculator →

CL — Consumer Staples

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

Full CL 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.