ADBE vs MA: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Adobe Inc. and Mastercard Incorporated β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-05-13.
Adobe Inc. Β· Technology
$248.16
+45.0% upside to fair value
High Conviction Grade B
VS
Mastercard Incorporated Β· Financial Services
$499.81
+5.0% upside to fair value
Grade B+ High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
ADBE has more upside to fair value (+45.0%). ADBE trades at a lower forward P/E (14.1x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric ADBE MA
Current Price $248.16 $499.81
Fair Value Estimate $359.82 $525.00
Upside to Fair Value +45.0% +5.0%
Market Cap $101.2B $441.6B
Forward P/E 14.1x 28.6x
EV / EBITDA β€” 21.3x
Price / Sales 4.1x 13.0x
Price / FCF 9.8x 24.9x
Revenue Growth YoY +3.3% +15.8%
Gross Margin 89.1% 83.0%
Operating Margin 36.6% 59.4%
Return on Equity 62.3% 206.1%
Dividend Yield β€” 0.6%
FCF Yield 10.2% 4.01%
Analyst Consensus Hold Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
ADBE β€” Adobe Inc.
Adobe Inc. develops industry-leading creative software, digital experience platforms, and publishing tools, powering digital content creation and marketing for professionals worldwide. The business excels with high gross margins above 89%, a sticky subscription model driving recurring revenue over $17B ARR, and dominant moats in digital media, though it faces intensifying AI competition and slowi…
MA β€” Mastercard Incorporated
Mastercard is one of two global payment network duopolists alongside Visa, with structurally high margins (83% gross, 59% operating, 46% net), powerful network effects, and durable secular tailwinds from the ongoing cash-to-card and card-to-digital migration. Q1 2026 results reported April 30 showed revenue of $8.40 billion (+15.8% YoY) and EPS of $4.35 (+20.8% YoY), driven by continued cross-bor…
Accumulation Zones
Metric ADBE MA
Zone Low $269.87 $393.75
Zone High $305.85 $446.25
In Buy Zone? Yes No
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