MAR vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Marriott International, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-04-18.
Marriott International, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$377.93
-16.6% upside to fair value
Grade D
VS
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$305.68
+4.7% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade B
QuantHub Verdict
MCD has more upside to fair value
(+4.7%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(24.5x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MAR |
MCD |
| Current Price |
$377.93 |
$305.68 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$315.15 |
$320.00 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-16.6%
|
+4.7%
|
| Market Cap |
$100.2B |
$218.1B |
| Forward P/E |
39.0x
|
24.5x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
25.3x
|
18.6x
|
| Price / Sales |
3.8x
|
8.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
34.6x
|
30.3x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+3.1%
|
+3.7%
|
| Gross Margin |
21.3%
|
57.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
15.8%
|
46.1%
|
| Return on Equity |
-79.9%
|
—
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
2.4% |
| FCF Yield |
2.89%
|
3.3%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Marriott International operates the world's largest hospitality portfolio with approximately 8,900 to 9,000 properties across 141 countries and over 30 brands, supported by the largest loyalty program with 203 to 210 million members. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat driven by scale, brand strength, and network effects. However, despite steady revenue growth of 3.1% year-over-y…
McDonald's operates the world's largest quick-service restaurant franchise with over 40,000 locations across 100+ countries, generating $26.9B in FY2025 revenue with roughly 60% from franchised operations. The asset-light franchise model produces 46% operating margins and $7.2B in annual free cash flow. Revenue growth reaccelerated modestly to 3.7% in FY2025 from 1.7% in FY2024, driven by the Int…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
MAR |
MCD |
| Zone Low |
$236.36 |
$240.00 |
| Zone High |
$267.88 |
$272.00 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|