LIVE
V
Visa Inc. · Financials
$323.57
+1.50% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
MA
Mastercard Incorporated · Financials
$491.08
-0.16% this month
AI Score
50.2vs50.7
MA ↑1Y Return
-12.07%vs-15.93%
V ↑Forward P/E
21.98xvs21.72x
MA ↑Target Upside
+22.18%vs+30.97%
MA ↑Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
V
2
MA
3
Metrics last refreshed: 6/6/2026
Quick take
V vs MA: Visa vs Mastercard — Which Payment Stock Is Better?: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Visa and Mastercard are as close as any two large-cap stocks get — both operate the global card payment duopoly with near-identical business models, margins, and competitive moats. The differences are subtle: Visa is slightly larger by volume, while Mastercard typically grows revenue faster due to its higher services revenue mix and international weighting.
Use this V vs MA comparison to make a nuanced choice between two nearly equivalent payment compounders. Both are exceptional businesses; the comparison is about whether you prefer Visa's slightly larger scale or Mastercard's slightly faster revenue growth and international exposure.
Live analysis · updated 6/6/2026
MA holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. V has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-12.07% vs -15.93%), though MA trades at the lower forward P/E (21.72x vs 21.98x). V leads on both revenue growth (17.10%) and operating margin (67.35%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for MA (+30.97%) than for V (+22.18%).
Comparison scoreboard
MA LEADS 3/5AI Score
V 50.2
MA ✓50.7
1Y Return
V ✓-12.07%
MA -15.93%
Fwd P/E
V 21.98
MA ✓21.72
Target Up.
V +22.18%
MA ✓+30.97%
Op. Margin
V ✓67.35%
MA 60.84%
Normalized 1Y performance
V
MA
Recent returns
V
MA
Analyst price targets & sentiment
V · 40 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.7/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$289.00
analyst high$425.00
analyst mean$398.74
current price$323.57
+22.2% upside to analyst mean
MA · 38 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.8/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$500.00
analyst high$690.00
analyst mean$646.97
current price$491.08
+31.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
V may suit investors who:
- →Want the largest global payment network with the deepest merchant and issuer acceptance
- →Prefer the slightly lower relative valuation that Visa often trades at versus Mastercard
- →Value the global scale of cross-border volume as international travel grows
- →Are content with a very high-quality, predictable compounder with modest valuation upside
MA may suit investors who:
- →Prefer slightly faster revenue growth driven by services and international mix
- →Want stronger European and emerging market payment network exposure
- →Value Mastercard's higher services revenue share as a premium growth driver
- →Are comfortable paying a slight premium for what has historically been a faster-growing business
Performance & AI score
| Metric | V | MA |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 50.2 | 50.7 |
| AI rank | #453 | #421 |
| Latest close | $323.57 | $491.08 |
| 1M return | +1.50% | -0.16% |
| 6M return | -1.08% | -9.45% |
| 1Y return | -12.07% | -15.93% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | V | MA |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.82K (-11.8%) started 2025-06-05 | $8.39K (-16.1%) started 2025-06-05 |
| 5Y ago | $14.85K (+48.5%) started 2021-06-07 | $14.13K (+41.3%) started 2021-06-07 |
| 10Y ago | $45.62K (+356.2%) started 2016-06-06 | $56.61K (+466.1%) started 2016-06-06 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | V | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $620.65B | $436.47B |
| Trailing P/E | 28.48 | 28.57 |
| Forward P/E | 21.98 | 21.72 |
| Price/Sales | 18.85 | 18.43 |
| EV/Revenue | 14.54 | 13.18 |
| Analyst target | $398.74 | $646.97 |
| Target upside | +22.18% | +30.97% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | V | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 17.10% | 15.80% |
| Earnings growth | 35.50% | 21.20% |
| EPS growth | +35.50% | +21.20% |
| FCF margin | +48.43% | +47.58% |
| Operating margin | 67.35% | 60.84% |
| Profit margin | 51.68% | 45.88% |
| ROIC proxy | 60.35% | 232.08% |
| Return on equity | 60.35% | 232.08% |
| Dividend yield | 0.82% | 0.70% |
| Beta | 0.78 | 0.76 |
| Debt/equity | 67.23 | 282.06 |
| Current ratio | 1.09 | 0.98 |
| Quick ratio | 0.67 | 0.56 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
V max drawdown20.84%
MA max drawdown21.27%
V max wkly drop8.84%
MA max wkly drop9.56%
5Y risk snapshot
V max drawdown28.60%
MA max drawdown28.25%
V max wkly drop11.76%
MA max wkly drop13.28%
10Y risk snapshot
V max drawdown36.36%
MA max drawdown41.00%
V max wkly drop16.49%
MA max wkly drop21.70%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | V | MA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -11.78% | -16.12% |
| CAGR | -11.79% | -16.14% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.66 | -0.88 | |
| Max drawdown | 20.84% | 21.27% | |
| Max daily drop | 4.99% | 5.77% | |
| Max wkly drop | 8.84% | 9.56% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +44.07% | +38.05% |
| CAGR | +7.58% | +6.67% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.24 | 0.20 | |
| Max drawdown | 28.60% | 28.25% | |
| Max daily drop | 7.74% | 7.69% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.76% | 13.28% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +327.70% | +436.04% |
| CAGR | +15.65% | +18.29% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.53 | 0.59 | |
| Max drawdown | 36.36% | 41.00% | |
| Max daily drop | 13.55% | 12.73% | |
| Max wkly drop | 16.49% | 21.70% |
Business comparison
| Category | V | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Visa Inc. | Mastercard Incorporated |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Credit Services | Credit Services |
| Core business | Operator of the world's largest payment network facilitating electronic funds transfers. Revenue from payment volume, transactions processed, and value-added services. Asset-light model with no credit risk. | Global payment network and technology company operating alongside Visa, processing payments across consumer cards, commercial cards, and new payment flows. Strong cross-border volumes and services revenue. |
| Investor focus | Payment volume growth in international markets, cross-border transaction recovery, value-added services revenue, and new payment flows (B2B, disbursements). | Switched transaction volume growth, cross-border volume recovery, services revenue expansion (Verizon, data analytics), and new payment flows in B2B and disbursements. |
V strengths
- →Largest global payment network by payment volume with unmatched merchant and issuer acceptance
- →Asset-light business model with no credit risk generates exceptional free cash flow margins
- →Cross-border transaction volumes provide meaningful revenue uplift as global travel recovers
MA strengths
- →Co-duopoly with Visa in global card payments with equally strong merchant acceptance
- →Faster services revenue growth as a share of total revenue provides premium growth optionality
- →Strong international exposure, particularly in Europe and emerging markets
Risks to watch — V
- →Regulatory pressure on interchange fees in the US and EU
- →Competitive threats from real-time payment networks that bypass card rails
- →Central bank digital currencies and open banking reducing reliance on card networks
Risks to watch — MA
- →Same regulatory and competitive risks as Visa in interchange and open banking
- →Slightly smaller scale than Visa in overall payment volume
- →Services revenue growth must continue to outpace transaction volume for multiple expansion
Frequently asked questions
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