MA vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Mastercard Incorporated and McDonald's Corporation — 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
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$275.75
+18.8% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MCD has more upside to fair value
(+18.8%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(22.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MA |
MCD |
| Current Price |
$499.81 |
$275.75 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$525.00 |
$327.62 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+5.0%
|
+18.8%
|
| Market Cap |
$441.6B |
$196.0B |
| Forward P/E |
28.6x
|
22.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
21.3x
|
16.7x
|
| Price / Sales |
13.0x
|
7.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
24.9x
|
27.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+15.8%
|
+9.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
83.0%
|
57.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
59.4%
|
46.0%
|
| Return on Equity |
206.1%
|
-434.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0.6% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
4.01%
|
3.59%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
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…
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 |
MA |
MCD |
| Zone Low |
$393.75 |
$245.72 |
| Zone High |
$446.25 |
$278.48 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|