MCD vs SBUX
McDonald's vs Starbucks stock: which is the better buy?
Tickerday reads McDonald's as a Hold at 52 and Starbucks as a Sell at 32. Today, McDonald's is the stronger call.
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MCD
McDonald's
Hold52/100
Partly cloudy, with 55% confidence
A year from now: $260 (+10.5%)
SBUX
Starbucks
Sell32/100
Rainy, with 68% confidence
A year from now: $90 (−10.6%)
Under the hood
Factor by factor
The six things Tickerday weighs, each scored 0 to 100. The higher of each pair is in its call's color.
McDonald's
Starbucks
Overall score
Valuation
Growth
Profitability
Momentum
Financial Health
Sentiment
Where they're headed
Price targets
Each target is measured from the price on the day its stock was read.
McDonald's
Starbucks
Price when read
MCD$235.23 · Oct 10, 2026
SBUX$100.68 · Jun 19, 2026
Next week
MCD$236 (+0.3%)
SBUX$100.50 (−0.2%)
Next month
MCD$233 (−0.9%)
SBUX$96.50 (−4.2%)
Next year
MCD$260 (+10.5%)
SBUX$90 (−10.6%)
The numbers
Key numbers
McDonald's
Starbucks
Market Cap
MCD$166.5B
SBUX$114.7B
P / E Ratio
MCD19.1
SBUX76.4
Rev. Growth
MCD+6.3%
SBUX+5.8%
Net Margin
MCD+31.7%
SBUX+3.9%
Debt / Equity
MCD40.64
SBUX8.07
Dividend Yield
MCD3.1%
SBUX2.4%
Beta
MCD0.46
SBUX0.97
52-Wk Range
MCD$229 – $342
SBUX$78 – $109
The argument
The case for and against
Every call has a case against it. Here are both sides, for each stock.
McDonald's MCD
The case for
- Stock is trading near its 52-week low, making its valuation more attractive with a P/E ratio of 19.1.
- Extremely profitable, with a net margin over 31%, which is very high for the restaurant industry.
The case against
- The stock has been in a clear downtrend, falling significantly from its 52-week high.
- Carries a very high level of debt, with a Debt/Equity ratio of over 40.
Starbucks SBUX
The case for
- Starbucks is an iconic global brand with a massive and loyal customer base.
- The company pays a dividend, offering a 2.4% yield to shareholders.
The case against
- A price-to-earnings ratio of 76.4 suggests the stock is significantly overvalued.
- The company's high debt-to-equity ratio of 8.07 points to a heavily leveraged balance sheet.
Tickerday's reads are educational analysis, the same for everyone, not financial advice. McDonald's was read on Oct 10, 2026 and Starbucks on Jun 19, 2026; each one's page has the full forecast.
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The receipts
Called it. Then it happened.
Real calls from the Tickerday engine, each one graded against the real price a month later.
Every call is graded
One month after the call, at the closing price.
Palantir Technologies Inc
+52.3%
✓Called it
We said Buy at $122.33 on Jul 30. A month later the price was $186.29.
Graded Aug 28 at the closing price
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