KO vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of The Coca-Cola Company and McDonald's Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-06-20.
The Coca-Cola Company · Consumer Defensive
$79.39
-9.9% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
VS
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$278.61
+18.7% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MCD has more upside to fair value
(+18.7%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(22.9x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
KO |
MCD |
| Current Price |
$79.39 |
$278.61 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$71.54 |
$330.66 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-9.9%
|
+18.7%
|
| Market Cap |
$341.6B |
$197.9B |
| Forward P/E |
24.9x
|
22.9x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
19.5x
|
16.9x
|
| Price / Sales |
6.9x
|
7.2x
|
| Price / FCF |
27.2x
|
28.1x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+12.1%
|
+9.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
61.7%
|
57.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
29.3%
|
46.0%
|
| Return on Equity |
43.6%
|
-433.9%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
3.68%
|
3.56%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
The Coca-Cola Company is a leading global branded beverages company with a very wide moat in sparkling soft drinks and non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages. It benefits from strong pricing power, stable margins, and high recurring cash flow, supported by a seasoned management team with deep company tenure. Despite solid recent growth with revenue up 12.1% and earnings up 17.8% in the most recen…
McDonald's Corporation operates a high-margin, asset-light global quick-service restaurant business with a durable competitive moat supported by strong brand recognition and a wide global footprint. The company benefits from consistent mid-single-digit systemwide sales growth and high free cash flow conversion, enabling substantial dividends and share buybacks. Despite a premium valuation with a …
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
KO |
MCD |
| Zone Low |
$53.66 |
$248.00 |
| Zone High |
$60.81 |
$281.06 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|