MCD vs SBUX

McDonald's and Starbucks Corporation, both Consumer Cyclical

McDonald's is the larger company at $198B against $115B. On trailing earnings MCD is the cheaper of the two at a P/E of 22.0 against 62.3, a gap that is only a bargain if the two are growing at similar rates. Over the past year SBUX returned +25% against -11% for MCD. Ryufin's sector-relative Smart Score puts MCD ahead, 9/10 against 4/10.

McDonald's and Starbucks Corporationcompared on valuation, return and Ryufin’s Smart Score
FigureMCDSBUX
Last close$267$108
Market cap$198B$115B
Trailing P/Elower is cheaper for the same earnings, not automatically better22.062.3
Dividend yieldn/a2.3%
1-year return-11%+25%
5-year return+23%+0.4%
Ryufin Smart Scoresector-relative, 1–109/104/10

Figures from SEC filings and end-of-day closes. Highlighting marks the higher or lower number, which is not the same as the better investment, a low P/E can be a warning and a high one can be deserved.

McDonald's

Revenue of $6.5B in Q1 2026, net income $2.0B. Its largest reported line is International Operated Markets, 51% of the disclosed total.

Starbucks Corporation

Revenue of $9.3B in Q3 2026, net income $1.0B. Its largest reported line is Beverage, 56% of the disclosed total.

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