COMPARE · Reviewed July 29, 2026
MLCO vs YUMC
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. MLCO scored 66.9, YUMC scored 75.0 — YUMC leads.
Compare another set
MLCO
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited
66.9
$5.83 · $2.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
8.1
YUMC leads
YUMC
Yum China Holdings, Inc.
75
$46.37 · $15.9B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
MLCO
stronger →← stronger
YUMC
64
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
83
50
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
73
94
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
70
YUMC is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
MLCO
YUMC
$809mC+
FCF
$931mC+
+11.3%B
Rev
+6.7%C+
—
D/E
0.38A-
10.0xA
P/E
17.8xB+
0.37A
PEG
1.12B+
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
MLCO
YUMC
92% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
5% below
decline
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~7%/yr
+852%
1-yr DCF upside
-6%
+1162%
5-yr DCF upside
+6%
+1843%
10-yr DCF upside
+25%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
MLCO
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Cyclical growth
- Short track record
YUMC
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
The companies
MLCOMelco Resorts & Entertainment Limited
Why now
Resorts & Casinos · market cap $2.3b. Down 43% from 52-week high of $10.15 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +11%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.37 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $7.57 (implying +30% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
Down 43% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 3.6% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE -15% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
YUMCYum China Holdings, Inc.
Why now
Restaurants · market cap $15.9b. Down 21% from 52-week high of $58.39 — deep drawdown territory. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $61.34 (implying +32% upside).
Moat
ROE 17% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 98% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
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.