Discover Financial Services (DFS) vs Visa Inc. (V)
A side-by-side comparison of Discover Financial Services and Visa Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
DFS
Discover Financial Services
$200.05Financial ServicesAt close: May 16, 2025, 4:00 PM ET
V
Visa Inc.
$366.59Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Total return — DFS vs V
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 17yDFS +1691.7%V +2745.0%V compounded faster
DFS V
DFS vs V: by the numbers
- •V is the larger company ($702.69B vs $50.34B market cap).
- •DFS trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (10.67 vs 31.58 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •V converts more revenue to profit (51.68% vs 21.65% net margin).
- •V grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.04% vs 13.84% CAGR).
- •DFS pays the higher dividend yield (1.40% vs 0.72%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | DFS | V |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 10.67 | 31.58 |
| Forward P/E | 12.59 | 27.55 |
| P/S ratio | 2.28 | 16.29 |
| P/B ratio | 2.66 | 19.65 |
| PEG ratio | 0.15 | 6.78 |
Profitability
| Metric | DFS | V |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 89.46% | 81.29% |
| Operating margin | 88.29% | 61.12% |
| Net margin | 21.65% | 51.68% |
| ROE | 25.29% | 62.35% |
| ROIC | 32.48% | 28.36% |
Dividends
| Metric | DFS | V |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.40% | 0.72% |
| Payout ratio | 15.81% | 25.44% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | DFS | V |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 13.84% | 15.04% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 14.26% | 15.84% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 42.63% | 9.00% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, DFS or V?
- DFS has the lower trailing P/E: DFS trades at 10.67 and V at 31.58. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
- Which has grown faster, DFS or V?
- Over the past five years, V grew revenue faster — DFS at a 13.84% CAGR versus V at 15.04%.
- Does DFS or V pay a bigger dividend?
- DFS yields 1.40% and V yields 0.72% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is DFS or V more profitable?
- V runs the higher net margin — DFS at 21.65% versus V at 51.68%.
- How have DFS and V total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, DFS delivered 15.34% and V delivered 17.36% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Discover Financial Services P/E ratioVisa P/E ratioDiscover Financial Services dividend yieldVisa dividend yieldDiscover Financial Services ROEVisa ROEDiscover Financial Services operating marginVisa operating marginDiscover Financial Services revenue growthVisa revenue growthDiscover Financial Services free cash flowVisa free cash flow
Discover Financial Services & Visa appear in these rankings
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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 July 28, 2026.