Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. MA scored 72.0, SLM scored 63.0 — MA leads.
Compare another set
MA
Mastercard Incorporated
Credit Services · Financial strength
37.6Fin
$589.14 · $516.1B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
37.5
SLM leads
SLM
SLM Corporation
Credit Services · Financial strength
75.1Fin
$22.52 · $4.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthMA+16.4%
Strongest balance sheetSLM2.36
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Fundamentals, head-to-head
MA
SLM
$16.0bA-
FCF
-$325mF
+16.4%B+
Rev
+7.3%B
4.40D
D/E
2.36C
32.4xD
P/E
—
1.50B
PEG
—
—
P/S
2.5xB+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
The companies
MAMastercard Incorporated
Credit Services · $589.14 · beta 0.76
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $516.1b. Trading near 52-week high of $601.23 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. Revenue growing +16%, comfortably above the S&P median. 37 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $668.07 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Net margin 46% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. FCF converts 98% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash. $516.1b market cap places it among the largest companies in the sector — distribution, R&D, and customer-acquisition costs amortize across a base peers can't replicate.
Risk
D/E 4.40 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trading within 2% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. Trailing P/E 32x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
SLMSLM Corporation
Credit Services · $22.52 · beta 0.98
Why now
Credit Services · market cap $4.2b. Down 27% from 52-week high of $31.06 — deep drawdown territory. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $28.45 (implying +26% upside).
Moat
Net margin 44% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 30% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
D/E 2.36 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$325m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Balance-sheet financial — book value, net interest margin, and credit loss provisions are the lever points; a rates regime change or a deterioration in the loan book moves the stock more than EPS does.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Common questions
Is MA or SLM the better stock?
MA scores higher: MA 72.0, SLM 63.0 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
How are MA and SLM scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.