Compare StocksMA vs SCHW

Mastercard Incorporated (MA) vs The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW)

MA
Mastercard Incorporated
$491.14
VS
SCHW
The Charles Schwab Corporation
$93.99

Rewards

MA
  • Mastercard Incorporated has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 100.0% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Mastercard Incorporated scores 99/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
SCHW
  • Gross margin of 97.4% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 100.6% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $1.65 of market value — management is creating shareholder value.

Risks

MA
  • High leverage (2.56x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
  • Insiders have sold $4.5M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
SCHW
  • The Charles Schwab Corporation scores only 27/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
  • Altman Z-Score of 0.41 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
  • Insiders have sold $5.1M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

Key Valuation Metrics

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MA
SCHW
Valuation
$16.27B
Free Cash Flow
N/A
3.71%
FCF Yield
N/A
29.77
Trailing P/E
20.21
21.70
Forward P/E
13.84
Quality & Moat
54.23%
ROIC
8.82%
193.24%
ROE
17.03%
100.00%
Gross Margin
97.41%
1.23
PEG Ratio
0.49
Balance Sheet Safety
2.56
Debt / Equity
1.15
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.43
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
0.71%
Dividend Yield
1.36%
MA: 2Ties: 2SCHW: 5
MASCHW

Historical Fundamentals

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MA

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

SCHW

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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MA
$5.62
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$31.68B
Δ Market Cap
+$177.96B
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
SCHW
$1.65
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Creator
Σ Retained
$12.98B
Δ Market Cap
+$21.38B
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

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

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MA
12.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 12.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $491.14
Fair Value: $558.06
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
SCHW
51.4% Margin of Safety
Price is 51.4% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $93.99
Fair Value: $193.27
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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MA

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $491?

+13.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +12.0%

The market implies +13.2% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +12.0%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

SCHW

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

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MA
99/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
SCHW
27/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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MA
-2.53
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

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.
SCHW
-2.16
Possible Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

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.

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

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MA
Insiders 0.5%Institutions 91.1%Retail & Other 8.3%
No. of Institutional Holders4,864
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
SCHW
Insiders 6.3%Institutions 84.9%Retail & Other 8.8%
No. of Institutional Holders2,929
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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MA
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
SCHW
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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MA
1
Sells (3M)
19
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $64.44M
LING HAI
Officer
$4.48M
@ $499.20 · 2026-02-24
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$10.20M
@ $591.00 · 2025-09-02
LING HAI
Officer
$2.69M
@ $600.00 · 2025-08-22
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$10.46M
@ $586.89 · 2025-08-19
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$3.83M
@ $566.46 · 2025-08-05
GENACHOWSKI JULIUS
Director
$178,049
@ $570.67 · 2025-07-07
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$536,480
@ $560.00 · 2025-06-30
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$601,447
@ $546.77 · 2025-06-27
GENACHOWSKI JULIUS
Director
$173,910
@ $561.00 · 2025-06-24
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$536,480
@ $560.00 · 2025-06-24
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$508,474
@ $535.80 · 2025-06-20
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$5.02M
@ $532.97 · 2025-06-20
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$1.76M
@ $561.78 · 2025-06-16
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$549,373
@ $572.86 · 2025-06-13
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$5.55M
@ $588.18 · 2025-06-12
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$8.22M
@ $585.05 · 2025-06-05
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$218,223
@ $577.31 · 2025-05-15
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$257,535
@ $572.30 · 2025-05-12
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$8.68M
@ $550.16 · 2025-03-26
MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE
Officer
$3.81M
@ $534.68 · 2025-03-19
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$6.12M
@ $556.14 · 2025-03-05
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$9.78M
@ $553.76 · 2025-03-05
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$6.19M
@ $562.72 · 2025-02-26
MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE
Officer
$6.18M
@ $564.99 · 2025-02-18
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$7.97M
@ $565.00 · 2025-02-18
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$10.17M
@ $564.95 · 2025-02-18
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.36M
@ $500.44 · 2024-11-01
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.30M
@ $491.03 · 2024-09-27
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.29M
@ $489.86 · 2024-09-20
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$550,000
@ $500.00 · 2024-09-17
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.31M
@ $493.10 · 2024-09-13
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$528,000
@ $480.00 · 2024-08-29
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.19M
@ $468.80 · 2024-08-22
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.03M
@ $467.02 · 2024-08-21
LING HAI
Officer
$1.36M
@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$3.16M
@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$6.11M
@ $455.00 · 2024-08-05
LING HAI
Officer
$1.35M
@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$512,006
@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$4.07M
@ $451.06 · 2024-06-20
MURPHY TIMOTHY H
Officer
$2.34M
@ $446.24 · 2024-06-17
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$47.72M
@ $445.98 · 2024-06-17
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$49.51M
@ $442.03 · 2024-06-13
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$3.11M
@ $449.66 · 2024-06-12
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$50.61M
@ $447.85 · 2024-06-10
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$3.71M
@ $443.93 · 2024-06-05
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$4.04M
@ $447.28 · 2024-06-05
MURPHY TIMOTHY H
Officer
$2.31M
@ $441.57 · 2024-06-03
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
SCHW
4
Sells (3M)
14
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $40.25M
HOWARD DENNIS
Chief Technology Officer
$956,228
@ $94.60 · 2026-03-03
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$681,454
@ $94.61 · 2026-03-03
HOWARD DENNIS
Officer
$2.65M
@ $95.02 · 2026-02-25
MORGAN PETER J. III
General Counsel
$792,796
@ $104.38 · 2026-02-02
MORGAN PETER J. III
General Counsel
$4.85M
@ $97.00 · 2025-08-27
WURSTER RICHARD A.
Chief Executive Officer
$2.03M
@ $99.16 · 2025-07-29
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$2.36M
@ $97.91 · 2025-07-29
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$1.88M
@ $90.01 · 2025-06-18
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$2.21M
@ $88.20 · 2025-05-28
MORGAN PETER J. III
General Counsel
$889,295
@ $87.39 · 2025-05-22
RUFFEL CHARLES ANTHONY
Director
$486,986
@ $87.65 · 2025-05-21
BETTINGER WALTER W II
Chairman of the Board
$17.05M
@ $89.00 · 2025-05-19
WURSTER RICHARD A.
Chief Executive Officer
$1.29M
@ $84.08 · 2025-05-09
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$2.13M
@ $85.00 · 2025-05-08
MURTAGH NIGEL J.
Officer
$1.15M
@ $75.38 · 2025-03-05
BETTINGER WALTER W II
Chairman of the Board
$38.06M
@ $81.91 · 2025-02-12
MORGAN PETER J. III
General Counsel
$1.18M
@ $80.70 · 2025-01-22
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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MA
FearGreed
😐Neutral(42/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
SCHW
FearGreed
😐Neutral(55/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

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

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MA
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (42)
SCHW
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (55)
View MA Full AnalysisView SCHW Full Analysis