Stock compare · SEC 10-K data · delayed price October 2, 2026

V vs MA: is Visa or Mastercard the better stock?

V scores higher on fundamentals: Visa (V) earns 71/100 on WealthyBud’s Investor Score versus 70/100 for Mastercard (MA). Visa reported $40.0B revenue at a 50.1% net margin (FY2025), growing +11.3%; Mastercard reported $32.8B at 45.6%, growing +16.4% (FY2025). At delayed prices, V trades at 32.1× earnings and MA at 32.5×. Research, not investment advice.

How do V and MA compare at a glance?

The table puts Visa and Mastercard side by side on 19 figures from each company's latest SEC 10-K, plus market cap, P/E, P/S and yield at a delayed share price. The stronger figure in each row is bold; for P/E, P/S and debt, lower counts as stronger.

V vs MA fundamentals — SEC 10-K data, delayed price as of October 2, 2026 (stronger figure in bold)
MetricVMA
Fiscal year (latest 10-K)FY2025FY2025
Revenue$40.0B$32.8B
Net income$20.1B$14.9B
Operating margin60.0%57.6%
Net margin50.1%45.6%
Revenue growth (YoY)+11.3%+16.4%
3-year revenue CAGR+10.9%+13.8%
Diluted EPS growthn/a+18.9%
Return on equity53%193%
Return on assets20.1%27.6%
Market cap (delayed)$643.9B$485.2B
P/E ratio32.132.5
Price / sales16.114.8
Dividend yield0.65%0.57%
Cash$25.0B$13.2B
Long-term debt$19.6B$18.3B
Debt to equity0.522.36
Current ratio1.081.03
Investor Score71/10070/100

Visa's fiscal year ends September 30 and Mastercard's ends December 31, so the latest 10-K for each covers a different 12 months. Visa reports earnings per share by share class, so its EPS growth shows as n/a. Mastercard's return on equity above 100% reflects net income that is larger than its shareholders' equity.

Not shown: gross margin. Neither company reports those lines in the SEC data WealthyBud uses.

Which is more profitable, Visa or Mastercard?

Visa is the more profitable business on margins: a 60.0% operating margin and 50.1% net margin in FY2025, versus 57.6% and 45.6% for Mastercard in FY2025. Mastercard posts the higher return on equity, 193% against 53%, because its shareholders' equity is far smaller ($7.7B vs $37.9B).

Which company is growing faster?

Visa grew revenue +11.3% in its latest fiscal year and +10.9% a year over three years. Mastercard grew +16.4% and +13.8% a year over the same span. Diluted EPS rose n/a at V and +18.9% at MA.

Five fiscal years of revenue, V vs MA (SEC 10-K)
Fiscal year (V / MA)VMA
FY2025 / FY2025$40.0B$32.8B
FY2024 / FY2024$35.9B$28.2B
FY2023 / FY2023$32.7B$25.1B
FY2022 / FY2022$29.3B$22.2B
FY2021 / FY2021$24.1B$18.9B

Is V or MA cheaper to buy?

At delayed prices as of October 2, 2026, V trades at 32.1 times earnings and 16.1 times sales with a $643.9B market cap; MA trades at 32.5 times earnings and 14.8 times sales at $485.2B. Dividend yields are 0.65% and 0.57%.

Which has the stronger balance sheet?

Visa ended FY2025 with $25.0B in cash, $19.6B of long-term debt and a 0.52 debt-to-equity ratio. Mastercard had $13.2B in cash, $18.3B of long-term debt and a 2.36 ratio. Current ratios are 1.08 and 1.03.

How do V and MA score on the Investor Score?

V scores 71/100 (#9 of 103) and MA scores 70/100 (#12 of 103) on WealthyBud's Investor Score as of October 2, 2026. Subscores for V: growth 70, profitability 98, returns on capital 90, balance-sheet strength 52, value (valuation) 24. For MA: growth 75, profitability 98, returns on capital 98, balance-sheet strength 26, value (valuation) 24. Percentile ranks, not advice.

V vs MA FAQ

Is V or MA the better stock?
On WealthyBud's fundamentals-based Investor Score, V scores 71/100 and MA scores 70/100 as of October 2, 2026. V leads on margins and debt to equity in the latest 10-Ks; MA leads on latest-year revenue growth and return on equity. The score is research, not a buy or sell call.
Which company makes more revenue, Visa or Mastercard?
Visa reported $40.0B and Mastercard $32.8B in revenue in their latest 10-Ks.
Which is cheaper, V or MA?
By price to earnings, V trades at 32.1 and MA at 32.5 using delayed prices as of October 2, 2026, so V is cheaper on earnings. On price to sales they are close: 16.1 versus 14.8.
Which pays a higher dividend, V or MA?
V declared $2.36 per share in FY2025, a 0.65% yield at the delayed price; MA declared $3.15, a 0.57% yield. Both yields are low next to dividend-focused stocks.
Which has more debt, Visa or Mastercard?
Mastercard carries $18.3B of long-term debt against $7.7B of equity (debt to equity 2.36); Visa carries $19.6B against $37.9B (debt to equity 0.52), per their latest 10-Ks.
Do V and MA report on the same fiscal year?
Visa's fiscal year ends September 30 and Mastercard's ends December 31, so the latest 10-K for each covers a different 12 months. Visa reports earnings per share by share class, so its EPS growth shows as n/a. Mastercard's return on equity above 100% reflects net income that is larger than its shareholders' equity. Figures on this page use each company's own latest annual report.
Fundamentals from each company's latest Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Valuation uses a delayed price. The Investor Score is a data-derived research opinion. Not investment advice.

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Grace Tanaka-Reed Financials Sector Analyst

Grace Tanaka-Reed is a financials sector analyst who covers banks, insurers and payment companies, focusing on interest-rate sensitivity and credit quality. She draws her coverage from public regulatory filings and quarterly earnings data.

Editorial persona: WealthyBud bylines are editorial personas, not real individuals. Pages are produced by the WealthyBud research team from the public data cited on each page.