MA vs MAR: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Mastercard Incorporated and Marriott International, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-13.
Mastercard Incorporated · Financial Services
$499.81
+5.0% upside to fair value
Grade B+
High Quality
VS
Marriott International, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$359.06
-45.0% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
MA has more upside to fair value
(+5.0%).
MA trades at a lower forward P/E
(28.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MA |
MAR |
| Current Price |
$499.81 |
$359.06 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$525.00 |
$197.48 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+5.0%
|
-45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$441.6B |
$95.2B |
| Forward P/E |
28.6x
|
37.7x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
21.3x
|
29.5x
|
| Price / Sales |
13.0x
|
4.4x
|
| Price / FCF |
24.9x
|
29.3x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+15.8%
|
-71.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
83.0%
|
6.0%
|
| Operating Margin |
59.4%
|
19.6%
|
| Return on Equity |
206.1%
|
-78.5%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0.6% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
4.01%
|
3.41%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
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…
Marriott International operates a global fee-driven, asset-light hotel business with a portfolio of over 30 brands and a strong competitive position in the travel lodging industry. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat supported by its brand strength, extensive network, and recurring franchise and management fees. However, recent financials show significant headwinds with a 71.1% y…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
MA |
MAR |
| Zone Low |
$393.75 |
$148.11 |
| Zone High |
$446.25 |
$167.86 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|