Side by sideVisa (V) and Mastercard (MA)Memos of October 10, 2026
Visa vs Mastercard stock: the numbers side by side (October 2026)
How do Visa and Mastercard compare?
| Visa V | Mastercard MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 11.3%Year to Sep 2025 | 16.4%Year to Dec 2025 |
| Operating margin | 60.0%Year to Sep 2025 | 57.6%Year to Dec 2025 |
| Free cash flow | 21,577US$ millions · Year to Sep 2025 | 17,159US$ millions · Year to Dec 2025 |
| Free cash flow yield | 3.1%Today (Oct 9, 2026) | 3.3%Today (Oct 9, 2026) |
| Net debt (− = net cash) | 6,174US$ millions · Year to Sep 2025 | 8,102US$ millions · Year to Dec 2025 |
| Dividend yield | 0.7%Today (Oct 9, 2026) | 0.6%Today (Oct 9, 2026) |
| P/E, last 12 months | 31.9xToday (Oct 9, 2026) | 31.6xToday (Oct 9, 2026) |
| P/E, next 12 months | 25.0xToday (Oct 9, 2026) | 24.9xToday (Oct 9, 2026) |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | 447.86 (+20 %)October 2027 | 628.65 (+10 %)October 2027 |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | 537.65 (+46 %)October 2029 | 718.71 (+27 %)October 2029 |
Who leads on what?
| Leads | The lead is | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | Mastercard | The higher figure |
| Operating margin | Visa | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow | Visa | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow yield | Mastercard | The higher figure |
| Net debt (− = net cash) | Visa | The lower figure |
| Dividend yield | Visa | The higher figure |
| P/E, last 12 months | Mastercard | The lower figure |
| P/E, next 12 months | Mastercard | The lower figure |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | Visa | The higher weighted return |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | Visa | The higher weighted return |
What does each company do?
Visa connects cardholders, merchants, and their banks to authorize, clear, and settle payments: approve a payment, pass its details along, and transfer the money.
Visa (V), from our memo of October 10, 2026 · Visa stock forecast
Mastercard connects cardholders, merchants and their banks through branded payment programs and a shared network.
Mastercard (MA), from our memo of October 10, 2026 · Mastercard stock forecast