FDS vs MA vs MSCI Stock Comparison

Factset Research Systems, Mastercard and Msci Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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FDS Factset Research Systems Inc
$344.03 +29.3% 1M +28.9% 1Y
Market cap
$12.13B
P/E
23.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$2.48B
Div. yield
1.31%
Financial Data and Analytics Financial Services
4 wins
MA Mastercard Inc
$658.39 +19.2% 1M +19.3% 1Y
Market cap
$573.26B
P/E
34.2x
Revenue (TTM)
$36.29B
Div. yield
0.53%
Payment Networks Financial Services
7 wins
MSCI MSCI Inc.
$637.27 +18.8% 1M +8.3% 1Y
Market cap
$45.69B
P/E
33.2x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.43B
Div. yield
1.25%
Financial Data and Analytics Financial Services
1 win

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Mastercard leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Mastercard 7, Factset Research Systems 4, Msci 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionFDSMAMSCILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $12.13B $573.26B $45.69B MA
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 23.5x 34.2x 33.2x FDS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 18.5x 31.4x 30.7x FDS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.7% +15.3% +12.3% MA
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 21.5% 46.7% 40.3% MA
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 16.9% 56.6% 44.1% MA
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.3x 0.5x 3.1x MA
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 1.31% 0.53% 1.25% FDS
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +28.9% +19.3% +8.3% FDS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -4.8%/yr +14.9%/yr -0.3%/yr MA
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 48.1% 23.1% 29.5% MA
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 51/100 51/100 51/100 MSCI

Percentile Scorecard

FDSMAMSCI

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisFDSMAMSCI
Valuation 25 #704 of 939 12 #825 of 939 21 #746 of 939
Growth 25 #613 of 814 64 #298 of 814 59 #337 of 814
Profitability 79 #174 of 828 99 #12 of 828 97 #25 of 828
Financial Health 60 #360 of 898 53 #421 of 898 26 #666 of 898
Shareholder Returns 68 #234 of 725 25 #541 of 725 55 #329 of 725
Overall 51 51 51
  • FDS ranked among 1,003 companies in Financial Services
  • MA ranked among 1,003 companies in Financial Services
  • MSCI ranked among 1,003 companies in Financial Services

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodFDSMAMSCISPY
1 month +29.3%+19.2%+18.8% -2.3%
3 months +27.5%+15.3%+10.9% -0.7%
6 months +53.3%+30.4%+9.4% +4.8%
Year to date +18.6%+15.3%+11.1% +10.3%
1 year +28.9%+19.3%+8.3% +10.3%
3 years -22.5%+70.5%+28.0% +73.0%
3 years, per year -8.1%+19.5%+8.6% +20.1%
5 years -21.9%+99.9%-1.3% +61.9%
5 years, per year -4.8%+14.9%-0.3% +10.1%
10 years +126.8%+533.1%+708.5% +258.6%
10 years, per year +8.5%+20.3%+23.2% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureFDSMAMSCISPY
Volatility, 1Y 48.1%23.1%29.5% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 49.9%22.7%31.4% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.090.240.28 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.600.830.28 0.80
Max drawdown, 5Y -61.7%-28.6%-43.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high 0.0%0.0%-1.0% -3.5%
52-week high $344.03$658.39$643.83 $779.14
52-week low $190.06$471.55$511.84 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleFDSMAMSCI
P/E now vs peer median 23.5xmedian 13.6x 34.2xmedian 13.6x 33.2xmedian 13.6x
P/S now vs peer median 4.9xmedian 3.3x 15.8xmedian 3.3x 13.3xmedian 3.3x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.0xmedian 6.0x 23.4xmedian 6.0x 24.7xmedian 6.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median 17.1xmedian 11.0x 35.6xmedian 11.0x 29.0xmedian 11.0x
P/B now vs peer median 6.1xmedian 1.2x 84.9xmedian 1.2x -15.1xmedian 1.2x
PEG now vs peer median 3.57median 0.92 1.87median 0.92 2.00median 0.92

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsFDSMAMSCI
Revenue $2.48B $36.29B $3.43B
Gross profit $1.25B – $2.85B
Operating income $699.96M $21.27B $1.91B
Net income $533.48M $16.96B $1.38B
Free cash flow $707.48M $16.08B $1.58B
R&D – – $184.30M
EPS (diluted) $14.57 $19.20 $19.14
Cash & equivalents $233.34M $10.15B $261.00M
Total debt $1.37B $23.94B $6.72B
Shares (diluted) 36.61M 883.00M 72.30M
Enterprise value $10.98B $533.34B $44.17B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricFDSMAMSCI
P/E 23.5x 34.2x 33.2x
P/FCF 17.1x 35.6x 29.0x
P/Operating cash flow 14.8x 34.0x 28.3x
P/S 4.9x 15.8x 13.3x
P/B 6.1x 84.9x -15.1x
P/Tangible book 79.6x 546.5x -11.7x
EV/EBITDA 15.0x 23.4x 24.7x
EV/EBIT 18.9x 27.6x 27.3x
EV/Revenue 5.3x 16.2x 15.2x
EV/FCF 18.7x 36.5x 33.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 16.1x 34.8x 32.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 3.57 1.87 2.00

Growth

14 metrics
MetricFDSMAMSCI
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.7% 15.3% 12.3%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 5.9% 14.2% 12.4%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 2.4% – 13.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 4.1% – 12.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) -6.5% 18.6% 15.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 3.6% 15.4% 13.0%
Net income growth (1Y) -10.6% 19.0% 13.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 4.4% 15.8% 13.0%
EPS growth (1Y) -6.3% 22.0% 19.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 6.6% 18.3% 16.6%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 13.2% -3.5% 6.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 8.4% 15.5% 11.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 14.6% -5.4% 6.7%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 6.6% 15.2% 11.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricFDSMAMSCI
Gross margin 50.6% – 82.9%
EBITDA margin 35.6% 69.2% 61.6%
Operating margin 28.3% 58.6% 55.7%
Pretax margin 26.2% 57.6% 47.3%
Net margin 21.5% 46.7% 40.3%
FCF margin 28.6% 44.3% 45.9%
Operating cash flow margin 33.2% 46.5% 47.0%
Return on equity 26.4% 274.4% –
Return on assets 12.8% 29.3% 24.7%
Return on invested capital 16.9% 56.6% 44.1%
Return on capital employed 22.8% 63.1% 47.5%
Asset turnover 0.6x 0.6x 0.6x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.5x 1.0x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue 3.4% 1.8% 3.7%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricFDSMAMSCI
Debt / assets 33.1% 41.2% 120.0%
Debt / equity 0.7x 3.5x -2.2x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.3x 0.5x 3.1x
Debt / FCF 1.9x 1.5x 4.3x
Liabilities / assets 51.6% 88.4% 153.9%
Equity / assets 48.4% 11.6% -53.9%
Interest coverage 12.8x 26.2x 6.9x
Current ratio 0.6x 1.0x 0.8x
Quick ratio 0.5x 0.6x 0.7x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.4x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 5.34 10.83 6.39

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricFDSMAMSCI
Dividend yield 1.3% 0.5% 1.2%
Net buyback yield 5.0% 2.7% 4.4%
Shareholder yield 6.3% 3.2% 5.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 42.1%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 37.0%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 6.7%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 10.5%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusFDSMAMSCI
Forward P/E 18.5xFY2027 31.4xFY2026 30.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $18.55FY2027 $20.99FY2026 $20.78FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +3.0%FY2027 +23.4%FY2026 +20.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +21.9% +14.7% +5.3%
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.68BFY2027 $38.99BFY2026 $3.73BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +8.1%FY2027 +18.9%FY2026 +19.2%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +9.7% +0.4% +9.7%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersFDSMAMSCI
Held by institutions 100.0% 87.5% 92.4%
Institutions holding 770 3,586 1,082
Change in shares held, QoQ +6.1% +0.6% +3.6%
Institutions buying 416 1,590 514
Institutions selling 244 1,528 407
Buyers to sellers 1.70 1.04 1.26

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

FDSMAMSCI
FDS 1.00 0.36 0.56
MA 0.36 1.00 0.39
MSCI 0.56 0.39 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, FDS, MA and MSCI?

Mastercard (MA) is the largest by market capitalisation: Factset Research Systems (FDS) $12.13B, Mastercard (MA) $573.26B, Msci (MSCI) $45.69B.

Which stock is cheaper, FDS, MA and MSCI?

Factset Research Systems (FDS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Factset Research Systems (FDS) 23.5x, Mastercard (MA) 34.2x, Msci (MSCI) 33.2x). On next year's consensus earnings, Factset Research Systems (FDS) is cheapest (Factset Research Systems (FDS) 18.5x, Mastercard (MA) 31.4x, Msci (MSCI) 30.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Mastercard (MA) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Factset Research Systems (FDS) +6.7%, Mastercard (MA) +15.3%, Msci (MSCI) +12.3%.

Which company is more profitable?

Mastercard (MA) has the highest net margin (Factset Research Systems (FDS) 21.5%, Mastercard (MA) 46.7%, Msci (MSCI) 40.3%). On return on invested capital, Mastercard (MA) leads (Factset Research Systems (FDS) 16.9%, Mastercard (MA) 56.6%, Msci (MSCI) 44.1%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Factset Research Systems (FDS) returned the most: Factset Research Systems (FDS) +28.9%, Mastercard (MA) +19.3%, Msci (MSCI) +8.3%. Over five years, Mastercard (MA) compounded fastest (Factset Research Systems (FDS) -4.8%/yr, Mastercard (MA) +14.9%/yr, Msci (MSCI) -0.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Factset Research Systems (FDS) has the highest dividend yield: Factset Research Systems (FDS) 1.31%, Mastercard (MA) 0.53%, Msci (MSCI) 1.25%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Mastercard (MA) has been the steadiest (Factset Research Systems (FDS) 48.1%, Mastercard (MA) 23.1%, Msci (MSCI) 29.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, FDS, MA and MSCI?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Mastercard (MA) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.