HD vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of The Home Depot, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-05-20.
The Home Depot, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$302.44
+22.0% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B+
VS
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$275.75
+18.8% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
HD has more upside to fair value (+22.0%). HD trades at a lower forward P/E (20.5x). These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice. See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric HD MCD
Current Price $302.44 $275.75
Fair Value Estimate $369.00 $327.62
Upside to Fair Value +22.0% +18.8%
Market Cap $301.2B $196.0B
Forward P/E 20.5x 22.6x
EV / EBITDA 16.5x 16.7x
Price / Sales 2.0x 7.1x
Price / FCF 26.6x 27.9x
Revenue Growth YoY +4.8% +9.4%
Gross Margin 33.3% 57.4%
Operating Margin 12.7% 46.0%
Return on Equity 110.5% -434.0%
Dividend Yield 2.72% 0%
FCF Yield 3.75% 3.59%
Analyst Consensus Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
HD — The Home Depot, Inc.
Home Depot remains the world's largest home improvement retailer with 2,350+ stores, dominant 52% market share, and an expanding Pro contractor segment bolstered by the SRS Distribution acquisition. Q1 FY2026 results released May 19 beat both the top and bottom line, with revenue of $41.77B up 4.8% year over year and adjusted EPS of $3.43 versus the $3.41 consensus. Comp sales grew only 0.6% howe…
MCD — McDonald's Corporation
McDonald's Corporation operates a global quick-service restaurant business with a strong competitive moat driven by brand recognition, extensive franchising, and digital innovation. The company reported $26.9 billion in revenue for fiscal 2025, growing 4% year-over-year, with significant contributions from its International Operated Markets segment growing nearly 8%. Despite a high valuation regi…
Accumulation Zones
Metric HD MCD
Zone Low $276.75 $245.72
Zone High $313.65 $278.48
In Buy Zone? Yes Yes
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