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Side-by-side financial comparison of Alcoa Corp (AA) and McDonald's (MCD). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

McDonald's is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($6.5B vs $3.4B, roughly 1.9× Alcoa Corp). McDonald's runs the higher net margin — 30.4% vs 6.2%, a 24.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, McDonald's posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.4% vs -1.1%). Over the past eight quarters, Alcoa Corp's revenue compounded faster (15.2% CAGR vs 0.2%).

Alcoa Corporation is an American industrial corporation that produces aluminum. According to industry rankings, it is among the largest producers globally. The company operates in 10 countries and is involved in mining, refining, smelting, fabricating, and recycling aluminum products.

McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world, behind the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.

AA vs MCD — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MCD
MCD
1.9× larger
MCD
$6.5B
$3.4B
AA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MCD
MCD
+10.5% gap
MCD
9.4%
-1.1%
AA
Higher net margin
MCD
MCD
24.3% more per $
MCD
30.4%
6.2%
AA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
AA
AA
Annualised
AA
15.2%
0.2%
MCD

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Revenue
$3.4B
$6.5B
Net Profit
$213.0M
$2.0B
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
2.0%
0.1%
Net Margin
6.2%
30.4%
Revenue YoY
-1.1%
9.4%
Net Profit YoY
5.4%
EPS (diluted)
$0.80
$2.00

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
$6.5B
Q4 25
$3.4B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$3.0B
$7.1B
Q2 25
$3.0B
$6.8B
Q1 25
$3.4B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$6.9B
Q2 24
$2.9B
$6.5B
Net Profit
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$213.0M
$2.2B
Q3 25
$232.0M
$2.3B
Q2 25
$164.0M
$2.3B
Q1 25
$548.0M
$1.9B
Q4 24
$202.0M
$2.0B
Q3 24
$90.0M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$20.0M
$2.0B
Gross Margin
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
Q3 25
90.6%
Q2 25
90.4%
Q1 25
89.6%
Q4 24
Q3 24
90.6%
Q2 24
90.3%
Operating Margin
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
0.1%
Q4 25
2.0%
45.0%
Q3 25
5.6%
47.4%
Q2 25
5.3%
47.2%
Q1 25
19.8%
44.5%
Q4 24
9.7%
44.9%
Q3 24
6.3%
46.4%
Q2 24
3.2%
45.0%
Net Margin
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
30.4%
Q4 25
6.2%
30.9%
Q3 25
7.7%
32.2%
Q2 25
5.4%
32.9%
Q1 25
16.3%
31.4%
Q4 24
5.8%
31.6%
Q3 24
3.1%
32.8%
Q2 24
0.7%
31.2%
EPS (diluted)
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
$2.00
Q4 25
$0.80
$3.03
Q3 25
$0.88
$3.18
Q2 25
$0.62
$3.14
Q1 25
$2.07
$2.60
Q4 24
$1.18
$2.80
Q3 24
$0.38
$3.13
Q2 24
$0.11
$2.80

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.6B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.1B
Total Assets
$16.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.40×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.6B
$774.0M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$2.4B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.2B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$792.0M
Total Debt
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$2.4B
$40.0B
Q3 25
$2.6B
Q2 25
$2.6B
Q1 25
$2.6B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$38.4B
Q3 24
$2.5B
Q2 24
$2.5B
Stockholders' Equity
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$6.1B
$-1.8B
Q3 25
$6.3B
$-2.2B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$-2.8B
Q1 25
$5.8B
$-3.5B
Q4 24
$5.2B
$-3.8B
Q3 24
$5.3B
$-5.2B
Q2 24
$3.9B
$-4.8B
Total Assets
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$16.1B
$59.5B
Q3 25
$16.0B
$60.6B
Q2 25
$15.0B
$59.6B
Q1 25
$14.6B
$56.3B
Q4 24
$14.1B
$55.2B
Q3 24
$14.5B
$56.2B
Q2 24
$14.3B
$53.8B
Debt / Equity
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.40×
Q3 25
0.41×
Q2 25
0.42×
Q1 25
0.44×
Q4 24
0.48×
Q3 24
0.47×
Q2 24
0.63×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$537.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$294.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
8.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
7.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.52×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$567.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$537.0M
$2.7B
Q3 25
$85.0M
$3.4B
Q2 25
$488.0M
$2.0B
Q1 25
$75.0M
$2.4B
Q4 24
$415.0M
$2.6B
Q3 24
$143.0M
$2.7B
Q2 24
$287.0M
$1.7B
Free Cash Flow
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
$294.0M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$-66.0M
$2.4B
Q2 25
$357.0M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$-18.0M
$1.9B
Q4 24
$246.0M
$1.8B
Q3 24
$-3.0M
$1.9B
Q2 24
$123.0M
$1.1B
FCF Margin
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
8.5%
23.4%
Q3 25
-2.2%
34.1%
Q2 25
11.8%
18.3%
Q1 25
-0.5%
31.5%
Q4 24
7.1%
28.6%
Q3 24
-0.1%
28.3%
Q2 24
4.2%
16.3%
Capex Intensity
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.0%
15.1%
Q3 25
5.0%
14.3%
Q2 25
4.3%
10.9%
Q1 25
2.8%
9.3%
Q4 24
4.8%
12.6%
Q3 24
5.0%
11.6%
Q2 24
5.6%
9.7%
Cash Conversion
AA
AA
MCD
MCD
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.52×
1.25×
Q3 25
0.37×
1.50×
Q2 25
2.98×
0.89×
Q1 25
0.14×
1.30×
Q4 24
2.05×
1.30×
Q3 24
1.59×
1.21×
Q2 24
14.35×
0.84×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AA
AA

Aluminum$2.5B72%
Third Party Sales$979.0M28%

MCD
MCD

Other$2.5B38%
International Operated Markets$1.8B27%
U.S$1.8B27%
International Developmental Licensed Markets & Corporate$476.0M7%

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