MAR vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Marriott International, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-07-20.
Marriott International, Inc. Β· Consumer Cyclical
$366.24
-3.4% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade C
VS
McDonald's Corporation Β· Consumer Cyclical
$267.71
+20.6% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade C+ High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MCD has more upside to fair value (+20.6%). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric MAR MCD
Current Price $366.24 $267.71
Fair Value Estimate $353.64 $322.85
Upside to Fair Value -3.4% +20.6%
Market Cap $96.6B $190.2B
Forward P/E β€” β€”
EV / EBITDA 23.8x 16.4x
Price / Sales 3.7x 6.9x
Price / FCF 31.6x 27.0x
Revenue Growth YoY +6.2% +9.4%
Gross Margin 21.4% 57.4%
Operating Margin 16.0% 46.0%
Return on Equity -74.1% -433.9%
Dividend Yield 0.75% 2.75%
FCF Yield 3.17% 3.7%
Analyst Consensus Hold Buy
Investment Thesis
MAR β€” Marriott International, Inc.
Marriott International is a global asset-light hotel franchisor, manager and licensor whose high-quality brands, nearly 283 million Bonvoy members, more than 9,900 properties across 146 countries and record 4,107-property development pipeline create meaningful network, distribution and brand advantages. Q1 2026 demonstrated resilient underlying fee economics: adjusted revenue excluding cost-reimb…
MCD β€” McDonald's Corporation
McDonald's is a global quick-service restaurant franchisor and real-estate platform whose approximately 95% franchised restaurant base generates unusually high-margin, recurring royalty and rent income, supporting a 46.0% operating margin and 31.6% net margin. Business quality is high because its brand, global purchasing scale, nearly 29,000 drive-thrus, digital ecosystem and 210 million 90-day a…
Accumulation Zones
Metric MAR MCD
Zone Low $265.23 $242.14
Zone High $300.59 $274.42
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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