Compare StocksMCD vs SBUX

McDonald's Corporation (MCD) vs Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)

MCD
McDonald's Corporation
$309.58
VS
SBUX
Starbucks Corporation
$95.83

Rewards

MCD
  • McDonald's Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • McDonald's Corporation scores 84/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Dividend yield of 2.36% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.
SBUX
  • Starbucks Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Starbucks Corporation scores 71/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Dividend yield of 2.68% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.

Risks

MCD
  • FCF yield of 2.8% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • PEG ratio of 3.16 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $23.7M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
SBUX
  • Gross margin of 22.2% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • Trailing P/E of 79.9x is 127% above the historical average of 35.2x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
  • Net debt/EBITDA of 4.1x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.

Key Valuation Metrics

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MCD
SBUX
Valuation
$6.30B
Free Cash Flow
$-1.44B
2.85%
FCF Yield
-1.32%
25.95
Trailing P/E
79.86
21.62
Forward P/E
32.45
Quality & Moat
17.46%
ROIC
10.82%
N/A
ROE
N/A
57.41%
Gross Margin
22.17%
3.16
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
N/A
Debt / Equity
N/A
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
3.70
Net Debt / EBITDA
4.13
2.36%
Dividend Yield
2.68%
MCD: 7Ties: 1SBUX: 1
MCDSBUX

Historical Fundamentals

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MCD

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

SBUX

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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MCD
$0.82
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Mediocre Allocator
Σ Retained
$9.30B
Δ Market Cap
+$7.67B
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
SBUX
$-9.28
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$1.95B
Δ Market Cap
$-18.13B
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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MCD
152.0% Overvalued
Price is 152.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $309.58
Fair Value: $122.86
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
SBUX
1.6% Overvalued
Price is 1.6% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $95.83
Fair Value: $94.35
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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MCD

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $310?

+18.3%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market pricing in significantly higher growth than history — aggressive.

SBUX

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

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MCD
84/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability 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 5 years of fundamental data.
SBUX
71/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by roic consistency. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

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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MCD
-2.52
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.
SBUX
-2.77
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.

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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MCD
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 75.6%Retail & Other 24.1%
No. of Institutional Holders4,410
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.
SBUX
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 84.8%Retail & Other 15.1%
No. of Institutional Holders2,899
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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MCD
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
SBUX
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $994,500
KNUDSTORP JORGEN VIG
Director
$994,500
@ $85.00 · 2025-11-10
KNUDSTORP JORGEN VIG
Director
$34,770
@ $91.50 · 2024-09-06
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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MCD
7
Sells (3M)
25
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $43.80M
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$862,221
@ $328.34 · 2026-03-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$110,033
@ $330.43 · 2026-02-23
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$2.07M
@ $333.32 · 2026-02-23
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$17.47M
@ $332.44 · 2026-02-13
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$1.55M
@ $331.00 · 2026-02-12
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$854,106
@ $325.25 · 2026-02-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$805,079
@ $306.58 · 2026-01-12
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$795,520
@ $320.00 · 2025-12-16
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$207,270
@ $315.00 · 2025-12-12
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$2.01M
@ $305.50 · 2025-12-01
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$5.31M
@ $310.00 · 2025-11-21
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$977,095
@ $305.82 · 2025-11-14
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$3.95M
@ $300.42 · 2025-11-05
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$315,000
@ $315.00 · 2025-09-02
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$1.49M
@ $315.00 · 2025-08-20
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$310,000
@ $310.00 · 2025-08-19
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$770,970
@ $310.00 · 2025-08-06
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$296,216
@ $303.50 · 2025-08-01
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$281,221
@ $299.49 · 2025-07-23
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$300,000
@ $300.00 · 2025-07-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$270,920
@ $288.52 · 2025-06-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
President
$295,851
@ $315.07 · 2025-05-23
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$1.92M
@ $319.66 · 2025-05-20
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$299,072
@ $318.50 · 2025-04-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$287,616
@ $306.30 · 2025-03-24
BOYD TIFFANIE L
Officer
$309,270
@ $309.27 · 2025-02-27
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$286,395
@ $305.00 · 2025-02-24
STEIJAERT MANUEL JM
Officer
$3.23M
@ $308.71 · 2025-02-24
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$334,871
@ $304.71 · 2025-02-21
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$456,495
@ $304.33 · 2025-02-21
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$962,432
@ $300.76 · 2025-02-19
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$2.83M
@ $307.41 · 2025-02-13
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$3.26M
@ $310.05 · 2025-02-11
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$84,225
@ $280.75 · 2025-01-23
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$436,134
@ $290.95 · 2025-01-02
RALLS-MORRISON DESIREE ANN
Officer
$1.98M
@ $289.89 · 2024-12-31
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$319,919
@ $291.10 · 2024-12-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$321,458
@ $292.50 · 2024-11-25
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$441,470
@ $294.51 · 2024-11-01
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$321,326
@ $292.38 · 2024-10-23
FLATLEY EDITH MORGAN
Officer
$727,260
@ $310.00 · 2024-10-14
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$2.83M
@ $305.00 · 2024-09-27
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$5.51M
@ $300.02 · 2024-09-24
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$1.78M
@ $300.04 · 2024-09-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$328,128
@ $298.57 · 2024-09-23
KEMPCZINSKI CHRISTOPHER J
Chief Executive Officer
$1.18M
@ $300.00 · 2024-09-16
BORDEN IAN FREDERICK
Chief Financial Officer
$397,500
@ $300.00 · 2024-09-16
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$428,967
@ $286.36 · 2024-09-03
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$316,993
@ $288.70 · 2024-08-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$285,740
@ $260.00 · 2024-07-23
GROSS MARION K
Officer
$371,893
@ $248.26 · 2024-07-03
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$285,480
@ $260.00 · 2024-06-21
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$291,378
@ $265.13 · 2024-05-23
BANNER JONATHAN
Officer
$220,016
@ $275.02 · 2024-05-10
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$303,751
@ $276.64 · 2024-04-23
ERLINGER JOSEPH M
Officer
$312,534
@ $284.38 · 2024-03-22
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
SBUX
3
Sells (3M)
3
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $460,974
BREWER BRADY
Officer
$58,800
@ $100.00 · 2026-03-09
KELLY SARA
Officer
$242,800
@ $97.12 · 2026-03-05
BREWER BRADY
Officer
$159,374
@ $97.12 · 2026-03-05
KELLY SARA
Officer
$1.94M
@ $101.37 · 2024-11-29
RUGGERI RACHEL
Chief Financial Officer
$148,414
@ $99.54 · 2024-11-21
RUGGERI RACHEL
Chief Financial Officer
$143,850
@ $99.07 · 2024-11-15
CONWAY MICHAEL AARON
Officer
$305,598
@ $94.03 · 2024-08-15
RUGGERI RACHEL
Chief Executive Officer
$299,916
@ $91.16 · 2024-08-13
CONWAY MICHAEL AARON
Officer
$260,000
@ $80.00 · 2024-06-14
RUGGERI RACHEL
Chief Financial Officer
$300,000
@ $80.00 · 2024-05-22
KELLY SARA
Officer
$19,375
@ $77.50 · 2024-05-21
KELLY SARA
Officer
$22,000
@ $88.00 · 2024-04-22
CONWAY MICHAEL AARON
Officer
$277,518
@ $85.39 · 2024-04-15
KELLY SARA
Officer
$23,158
@ $92.63 · 2024-03-21
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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MCD
FearGreed
😐Neutral(48/100)

"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.
SBUX
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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MCD
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 (48)
SBUX
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 MCD Full AnalysisView SBUX Full Analysis
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) vs Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io