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Mastercard vs Philip Morris International: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Mastercard holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and profitability. Philip Morris International still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is currently leaning toward Philip Morris International, which does not confirm the structural lead. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with Mastercard, but the market is not currently confirming it.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

The clearest separation starts in growth, but profitability adds another real layer to the result. Mastercard Incorporated leads by 14 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.70
Similar
Peer-set rank: #9
within Mastercard Incorporated's functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

The strongest overlap appears in revenue stability and capital structure.

Similarity drivers
revenue stabilitycapital structure
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
MA
Mastercard Incorporated
70
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PM
Philip Morris International Inc.
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: MA vs PM Profitability 95 61 Stability 61 70 Valuation 56 67 Growth 64 20 MA PM
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +44
#2 Profitability +34
#3 Valuation +11
#4 Stability +9
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for MA and PM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer MAPM Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup splits cleanly: structure favours Mastercard Incorporated, while the price setup favours Philip Morris International Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where MA and PM each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY MA Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 14 pct gap PM Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 84th 98th
MA (84th percentile) and PM (98th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, Mastercard Incorporated is positioned higher in the group, while Philip Morris International Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
Both rank well on profitability, but Mastercard Incorporated still holds a clear edge.
Growth — Dominant Gap
MA
64
PM
20
Gap+44in favour of MA

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Philip Morris International, with a forward P/E that is 3.7 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the MA vs PM comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar growth-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how MA and PM each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.