Is ZMLP or SCHD a better dividend investment in 2026?

ZMLP currently yields 3.74% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. SCHD yields 3.46% with 13.05% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: ZMLP offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between ZMLP and SCHD?

ZMLP has a forward dividend yield of 3.74% ($2.00/share annually). SCHD yields 3.46% ($1.06/share annually). The yield gap is 0.28 percentage points.

Home › Compare › ZMLP vs SCHD

ZMLP vs SCHD: Dividend Comparison 2026

ZMLP yields 3.74% · SCHD yields 3.46%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 SCHD wins by $3.5K 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 →

SCHD

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

● Live price

3.46%

Share price

$30.48

Annual div

$1.06

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$29.0K

Annual income

$425.95

Full SCHD calculator →

Portfolio growth — ZMLP vs SCHD

📍 SCHD 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	SCHD
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 + SCHD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

ZMLP pays

SCHD 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

SCHD

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

$294.40/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$362.06/yr

At 15% tax rate, ZMLP beats the other by $41.57/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 ZMLP + SCHD for your $10,000?

ZMLP: 50%SCHD: 50%

100% SCHD50/50100% ZMLP

Portfolio after 10yr

$27.2K

Annual income

$450.40/yr

Blended yield

1.65%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ZMLP buys

SCHD buys

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

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

MetricZMLPSCHD

Forward yield	3.74% ✓	3.46%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00 ✓	$1.06
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$25.5K	$29.0K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$474.86 ✓	$425.95
Total dividends collected	$4.3K ✓	$3.9K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	ZMLP Portfolio	ZMLP Income/yr	SCHD Portfolio	SCHD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,074	$373.53	$11,226	$346.36	$152.00 → SCHD
2	$12,235	$386.57	$12,572	$357.38	$337.00 → SCHD
3	$13,491	$399.18	$14,046	$367.84	$555.00 → SCHD
4	$14,847	$411.35	$15,660	$377.73	$813.00 → SCHD
5	$16,309	$423.07	$17,425	$387.07	$1.1K → SCHD
6	$17,885	$434.34	$19,354	$395.86	$1.5K → SCHD
7	$19,582	$445.15	$21,461	$404.13	$1.9K → SCHD
8	$21,408	$455.51	$23,762	$411.89	$2.4K → SCHD
9	$23,372	$465.41	$26,272	$419.15	$2.9K → SCHD
10	$25,483	$474.86	$29,010	$425.95	$3.5K → SCHD

ZMLP vs SCHD: 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 →

SCHD — ETF

The fund’s goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index.

Full SCHD 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.