Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) vs Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (MAA): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-09-17, GOOGL is overvalued at $345, with a DCF intrinsic value of $102 and a margin of safety of -240%. MAA is fairly valued at $122, with an intrinsic value of $121 and a margin of safety of -1%. Of the two, MAA has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★Alphabet Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★Gross margin of 60.9% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Alphabet Inc. scores 89/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
Risks
- ⚠FCF yield of 1.7% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
- ⚠FCF yield of 6.3% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
- ⚠PEG ratio of 7.03 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠Net debt/EBITDA of 4.6x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →What growth rate is the market pricing in at $345?
Market pricing in significantly higher growth than history — aggressive.
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $122?
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Wide moat driven primarily by roic consistency. Reinvestment Efficiency is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Insufficient data for Economic Moat Score calculation (requires 3+ years).
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →M-Score Trend
Insufficient data for Beneish M-Score calculation (requires 2+ years).
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →No ownership data available.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions: GOOGL vs MAA
Is Alphabet Inc. or Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, MAA trades at a -0.7% margin of safety (intrinsic value $121 vs. price $122), compared to GOOGL's -239.7% margin of safety (intrinsic $102 vs. $345).
Which company has better free cash flow, Alphabet Inc. or Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.?▼
Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (MAA) generates a 6.3% free cash flow yield, compared to Alphabet Inc.'s 1.7%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.
Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Alphabet Inc. or Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.?▼
GOOGL earns 15.7% ROIC versus MAA's 3.9%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.