Head-to-head · free
McDonald's vs Starbucks
MCD vs SBUX — return on capital, cash generation, margins and balance sheet side by side.
MCD
7 / 9
measures where MCD leads
SBUX
2 / 9
measures where SBUX leads
A simple count of which company scores better on each measure — not a recommendation to buy or sell.
| Measure | MCD · FY2025 | SBUX · FY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $26.9B | $37.2B |
| Net income | $8.6B | $1.9B |
| Revenue growth (yearly, multi-year) | 3.7% | 6.4% |
| Free cash flow | $7.2B | $2.4B |
| Free cash flow margin | 26.7% | 6.6% |
| Net cash / (debt) | — | (23.4B) |
| ROIC | 19.0% | 11.6% |
| Return on equity | — | — |
| Gross margin | 57.4% | 22.8% |
| Operating margin | 46.1% | 9.6% |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.69x | 2.73x |
Figures are as reported by each company; latest fiscal year shown.
Where McDonald's's cash went (FY2025)
- Capital spending
- $3.4B
- Buybacks
- —
- Dividends
- —
- Acquisitions
- —
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- —
Where Starbucks's cash went (FY2025)
- Capital spending
- $2.3B
- Buybacks
- $0
- Dividends
- $2.8B
- Acquisitions
- $177.1M
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- $493.1M
Ask which business is stronger
"Which one reinvests at higher returns?" "Who carries more risk in its filings?" Get answers drawn straight from both companies' filings.
Compare them free