CMCSA vs VZ: Dividend Comparison
Dividend data as of
Comcast Corp (CMCSA) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) are both in the Communication Services sector, making them natural rivals for dividend investors. VZ offers a significantly higher 5.77% yield compared to CMCSA's 4.06%, a gap of 1.71%. Both stocks carry a "Safe" dividend safety rating.
Verdict
Yield Analysis
VZ yields 1.71% more than CMCSA. In dollar terms, CMCSA pays $1.32/share vs VZ's $2.73/share annually.
Dividend Growth
VZ: Dividend growth is accelerating — the 3-year CAGR of 17.6% exceeds the 5-year rate of 9.5% and the 10-year rate of 5.3%.
Dividend Safety
CMCSA: The payout ratio of 18% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases.
VZ: The payout ratio of 50% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases. Earnings cover the dividend 1.5x.
Estimated Annual Dividend Income
Based on current dividend yields. Actual income may vary.
What does $10,000 buy in CMCSA vs VZ today?
At $31.68 per share, $10,000 buys about 315.6 shares of Comcast Corp (CMCSA). Each share pays $1.32 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $417 per year — about $35 a month.
At $49.07 per share, $10,000 buys about 203.8 shares of Verizon Communications Inc (VZ). Each share pays $2.73 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $557 per year — about $46 a month.
VZ is the larger income stream from day one: $141 per year more on the same $10,000 invested.
Why is there no dividend growth comparison for CMCSA?
REWD's dividend database has no five-year growth rate for Comcast Corp (CMCSA) — most often because the dividend history is too short to compute one, which is common for companies that began paying dividends only in the past few years.
What the data does show for CMCSA: a 4.06% current yield and a 18% payout ratio, which leaves ample room to raise the payout from here. Until a multi-year raise history exists, treat any growth assumption for CMCSA as a guess rather than a trend.
Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) is the one with a measurable track record here — dividend raises of about 9.5% a year over the past five years. If a proven raise history matters to you, VZ wins that dimension by default until CMCSA builds one.
Can CMCSA and VZ afford their dividends?
Comcast Corp (CMCSA) pays out about 18% of its earnings as dividends, which implies roughly 5.4x earnings coverage.
Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) earns $4.06 per share against $2.73 paid out in dividends — 1.5x coverage (a 50% payout ratio).
CMCSA's wider coverage leaves more cushion if earnings dip. As a rule of thumb, coverage below about 1.5x (a payout ratio above ~65%) is where a dividend starts to look stretched — worth watching for VZ if earnings weaken.
Which fits an early-retirement income portfolio better, CMCSA or VZ?
For income you need right now, Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) leads: $100,000 invested today pays about $481 a month at the current 5.77% yield, versus $338 a month from Comcast Corp (CMCSA) at 4.06%.
Many income investors simply hold both — the mix pairs current yield with growth and spreads single-name risk. Whichever way you lean, dividends are never guaranteed; recheck the payout each quarter rather than setting and forgetting.
$10,000 with DRIP: projected annual income
If each holding keeps raising its dividend at its real 5-year rate and every payment is reinvested, a $10,000 position pays $605/yr in CMCSA vs $2,502/yr in VZ by year 10.
Assumes dividends are reinvested at the current yield and grow at each holding's trailing 5-year dividend CAGR (0% where growth history is unavailable). A projection, not a prediction — no price appreciation modeled.
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