MCD vs QCOM: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of McDonald's Corporation and QUALCOMM Incorporated — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-09.
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$275.75
+18.8% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
QUALCOMM Incorporated · Technology
$134.47
+45.0% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade B
QuantHub Verdict
QCOM has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(22.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
MCD |
QCOM |
| Current Price |
$275.75 |
$134.47 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$327.62 |
$194.98 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+18.8%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$196.0B |
$143.6B |
| Forward P/E |
22.6x
|
26.8x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
16.7x
|
—
|
| Price / Sales |
7.1x
|
3.2x
|
| Price / FCF |
27.9x
|
11.1x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+9.4%
|
+8.7%
|
| Gross Margin |
57.4%
|
55.1%
|
| Operating Margin |
46.0%
|
27.1%
|
| Return on Equity |
-434.0%
|
21.6%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
— |
| FCF Yield |
3.59%
|
9.0%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
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…
Qualcomm Incorporated is a leading semiconductor company specializing in wireless chipsets and IP licensing, with dominant positions in 5G modems via QCT (87% of revenue) and steady QTL royalties. The business excels through a vast patent moat, diversification into automotive and IoT, and robust growth (revenue +13% YoY to $44B in FY2025), but faces risks from Apple modem shifts and China exposur…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
MCD |
QCOM |
| Zone Low |
$245.72 |
$146.23 |
| Zone High |
$278.48 |
$165.73 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
Yes
|