Discover Financial Services (DFS) vs Mastercard Incorporated (MA)
DFS leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Discover Financial Services and Mastercard Incorporated across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
DFS
Discover Financial Services
$200.05Financial Services
MA
Mastercard Incorporated
$489.98Financial Services
Total return — DFS vs MA
growth of $100 · last 18yDFS +595.8%MA +3780.8%MA compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
DFS MA
DFS vs MA: by the numbers
- •MA is the larger company ($432.94B vs $50.34B market cap).
- •DFS trades at the lower earnings multiple (10.67 vs 28.36 P/E).
- •MA converts more revenue to profit (45.88% vs 21.65% net margin).
- •MA grew revenue faster over the past five years (17.05% vs 13.84% CAGR).
- •DFS pays the higher dividend yield (1.40% vs 0.67%).
Which is better, DFS or MA?
Metric tally: DFS 9 · MA 8It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueDFS(lower P/E)
GrowthMA(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeDFS(higher dividend yield)
QualityMA(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | DFS | MA |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 10.67● | 28.36 |
| Forward P/E | 12.59● | 21.48 |
| P/S ratio | 2.28● | 12.89 |
| P/B ratio | 2.66● | 65.09 |
| PEG ratio | 0.15● | 1.81 |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.75● | 21.13 |
| FCF yield | 16.78%● | 4.05% |
Profitability
| Metric | DFS | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 65.86% | 82.96%● |
| Operating margin | 34.55% | 59.40%● |
| Net margin | 21.65% | 45.88%● |
| ROE | 25.29% | 231.63%● |
| ROIC | 32.48% | 48.63%● |
Dividends
| Metric | DFS | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.40%● | 0.67% |
| Payout ratio | 15.81% | 19.70% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | DFS | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 13.84% | 17.05%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 14.26% | 20.93%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 9.87% | 23.43%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 42.63%● | 6.65% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, DFS or MA?
- It depends on your goal. value: DFS (lower P/E); growth: MA (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DFS (higher dividend yield); quality: MA (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DFS leads 9 to 8.
- Is DFS or MA cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, DFS is cheaper: DFS trades at a 10.67 P/E and MA at 28.36.
- Which has grown faster, DFS or MA?
- Over the past five years, MA grew revenue faster — DFS at a 13.84% CAGR versus MA at 17.05%.
- Does DFS or MA pay a bigger dividend?
- DFS yields 1.40% and MA yields 0.67% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is DFS or MA more profitable?
- MA runs the higher net margin — DFS at 21.65% versus MA at 45.88%.
- Which has been the better investment, DFS or MA?
- Over the past 10-year, MA delivered the higher annualized total return — DFS at 15.34% versus MA at 18.49%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Discover Financial Services P/E ratioMastercard P/E ratioDiscover Financial Services dividend yieldMastercard dividend yieldDiscover Financial Services ROEMastercard ROEDiscover Financial Services operating marginMastercard operating marginDiscover Financial Services revenue growthMastercard revenue growthDiscover Financial Services free cash flowMastercard free cash flow
Discover Financial Services & Mastercard appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.