When it comes to the global payments landscape, there are no two companies that dominate quite like Visa (V 0.77%) and Mastercard (MA 1.52%). Combined, they handled a whopping $7.3 trillion in payment volume during the three-month period that ended on Dec. 31, 2025. And they have billions of active cards in use around the world.
Research from The Motley Fool shows that these are two of the most valuable financial stocks out there. Which one will make you richer?
Image source: The Motley Fool.
From a valuation perspective, Visa wins the battle. Investors can buy its shares at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29.8. This represents a small discount to Mastercard's P/E multiple of 31.1. All else equal, investors want to focus on stocks that trade at cheaper valuations.
NYSE: V
Key Data Points
However, when it comes to profit growth, Mastercard comes out on top. Consensus analyst estimates call for its adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) to rise at a compound annual rate of 15.8% between 2025 and 2028. That's a faster pace than Visa's projected yearly adjusted diluted EPS gain of 12.5%. Mastercard is a smaller business, so it naturally has a bigger opportunity to expand in the years ahead.
NYSE: MA
Key Data Points
Investors don't have to pick just one of these wide-moat stocks. Owning both Visa and Mastercard can instantly improve the quality of your portfolio. Just don't expect to achieve monster returns with either stock.
