Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) vs Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-06-19, PM is overvalued at $178, with a DCF intrinsic value of $139 and a margin of safety of -28%. SBUX is overvalued at $101, with an intrinsic value of $82 and a margin of safety of -23%. Of the two, SBUX has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★Philip Morris International Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★Gross margin of 67.3% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Philip Morris International Inc. scores 100/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Starbucks Corporation has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
- ★Starbucks Corporation scores 71/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
Risks
- ⚠PEG ratio of 2.57 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠Gross margin of 21.9% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠Trailing P/E of 76.8x is 119% above the historical average of 35.1x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
- ⚠Net debt/EBITDA of 4.2x 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.
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
> $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 $178?
The market implies +12.1% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +16.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.
Wide moat driven primarily by roic consistency. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →M-Score Trend
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.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →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"
"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: PM vs SBUX
Is Philip Morris International Inc. or Starbucks Corporation more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, SBUX trades at a -23.0% margin of safety (intrinsic value $82 vs. price $101), compared to PM's -28.1% margin of safety (intrinsic $139 vs. $178).
Which stock has a wider economic moat, Philip Morris International Inc. or Starbucks Corporation?▼
PM scores 100/100 (Wide moat), while SBUX scores 71/100 (Wide moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.
Is Starbucks Corporation in financial distress?▼
SBUX's Altman Z-Score of 2.5 places it in the Grey zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. PM scores 3.9 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.
Which company has better free cash flow, Philip Morris International Inc. or Starbucks Corporation?▼
Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) generates a 3.1% free cash flow yield, compared to Starbucks Corporation's -1.1%. 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, Philip Morris International Inc. or Starbucks Corporation?▼
PM earns 22.7% ROIC versus SBUX's 10.5%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.
Which dividend is safer, Philip Morris International Inc.'s or Starbucks Corporation's?▼
PM's dividend earns a safety score of 34/100 (Unsafe), compared to SBUX's 24/100 (Unsafe). PM has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.