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Side-by-side financial comparison of American Electric Power (AEP) and McDonald's (MCD). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

McDonald's is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($7.0B vs $5.1B, roughly 1.4× American Electric Power). McDonald's runs the higher net margin — 30.9% vs 12.0%, a 18.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, McDonald's posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.7% vs 6.2%). Over the past eight quarters, McDonald's's revenue compounded faster (6.6% CAGR vs -0.3%).

American Electric Power Company, Inc., an electric public utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. It operates through Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission and Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco, and Generation & Marketing segments. The company generates electricity using coal and lignite, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, and other energy sou...

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.

AEP vs MCD — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MCD
MCD
1.4× larger
MCD
$7.0B
$5.1B
AEP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MCD
MCD
+3.5% gap
MCD
9.7%
6.2%
AEP
Higher net margin
MCD
MCD
18.9% more per $
MCD
30.9%
12.0%
AEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MCD
MCD
Annualised
MCD
6.6%
-0.3%
AEP

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Revenue
$5.1B
$7.0B
Net Profit
$605.2M
$2.2B
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
22.1%
45.0%
Net Margin
12.0%
30.9%
Revenue YoY
6.2%
9.7%
Net Profit YoY
-9.1%
7.3%
EPS (diluted)
$1.06
$3.03

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
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$5.1B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$6.0B
$7.1B
Q2 25
$5.1B
$6.8B
Q1 25
$5.6B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$4.8B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$5.5B
$6.9B
Q2 24
$4.7B
$6.5B
Q1 24
$5.1B
$6.2B
Net Profit
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$605.2M
$2.2B
Q3 25
$1.0B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$2.3B
Q1 25
$802.2M
$1.9B
Q4 24
$665.9M
$2.0B
Q3 24
$961.7M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$342.5M
$2.0B
Q1 24
$1.0B
$1.9B
Gross Margin
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
Q3 25
90.6%
Q2 25
90.4%
Q1 25
89.6%
Q4 24
Q3 24
90.6%
Q2 24
90.3%
Q1 24
89.8%
Operating Margin
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
22.1%
45.0%
Q3 25
25.5%
47.4%
Q2 25
27.7%
47.2%
Q1 25
22.8%
44.5%
Q4 24
23.0%
44.9%
Q3 24
24.7%
46.4%
Q2 24
14.7%
45.0%
Q1 24
23.1%
44.4%
Net Margin
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
12.0%
30.9%
Q3 25
16.8%
32.2%
Q2 25
25.5%
32.9%
Q1 25
14.2%
31.4%
Q4 24
14.0%
31.6%
Q3 24
17.6%
32.8%
Q2 24
7.4%
31.2%
Q1 24
19.8%
31.3%
EPS (diluted)
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$1.06
$3.03
Q3 25
$1.81
$3.18
Q2 25
$2.29
$3.14
Q1 25
$1.50
$2.60
Q4 24
$1.24
$2.80
Q3 24
$1.80
$3.13
Q2 24
$0.64
$2.80
Q1 24
$1.90
$2.66

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$417.0M
$774.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$47.3B
$40.0B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$31.1B
$-1.8B
Total Assets
$114.5B
$59.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.52×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$417.0M
$774.0M
Q3 25
$1.3B
$2.4B
Q2 25
$439.3M
$1.9B
Q1 25
$463.6M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$418.3M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$474.4M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$428.2M
$792.0M
Q1 24
$447.7M
$838.0M
Total Debt
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$47.3B
$40.0B
Q3 25
$46.1B
Q2 25
$44.5B
Q1 25
$43.0B
Q4 24
$42.6B
$38.4B
Q3 24
$42.0B
Q2 24
$42.1B
Q1 24
$39.8B
Stockholders' Equity
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$31.1B
$-1.8B
Q3 25
$30.4B
$-2.2B
Q2 25
$29.9B
$-2.8B
Q1 25
$27.3B
$-3.5B
Q4 24
$26.9B
$-3.8B
Q3 24
$26.6B
$-5.2B
Q2 24
$26.1B
$-4.8B
Q1 24
$25.8B
$-4.8B
Total Assets
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$114.5B
$59.5B
Q3 25
$110.3B
$60.6B
Q2 25
$107.8B
$59.6B
Q1 25
$104.4B
$56.3B
Q4 24
$103.1B
$55.2B
Q3 24
$100.1B
$56.2B
Q2 24
$99.6B
$53.8B
Q1 24
$97.7B
$53.5B
Debt / Equity
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
1.52×
Q3 25
1.52×
Q2 25
1.49×
Q1 25
1.57×
Q4 24
1.58×
Q3 24
1.58×
Q2 24
1.61×
Q1 24
1.54×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.8B
$2.7B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.6B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
23.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
15.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
3.00×
1.25×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$7.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$1.8B
$2.7B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$3.4B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$2.0B
Q1 25
$1.4B
$2.4B
Q4 24
$1.7B
$2.6B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$2.7B
Q2 24
$1.5B
$1.7B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$2.4B
Free Cash Flow
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
$1.6B
Q3 25
$2.2B
$2.4B
Q2 25
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.9B
Q4 24
$1.8B
Q3 24
$1.9B
Q2 24
$1.1B
Q1 24
$1.8B
FCF Margin
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
23.4%
Q3 25
36.3%
34.1%
Q2 25
18.3%
Q1 25
31.5%
Q4 24
28.6%
Q3 24
28.3%
Q2 24
16.3%
Q1 24
29.9%
Capex Intensity
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
15.1%
Q3 25
5.0%
14.3%
Q2 25
10.9%
Q1 25
9.3%
Q4 24
12.6%
Q3 24
0.0%
11.6%
Q2 24
9.7%
Q1 24
8.9%
Cash Conversion
AEP
AEP
MCD
MCD
Q4 25
3.00×
1.25×
Q3 25
2.46×
1.50×
Q2 25
0.95×
0.89×
Q1 25
1.81×
1.30×
Q4 24
2.59×
1.30×
Q3 24
2.26×
1.21×
Q2 24
4.27×
0.84×
Q1 24
1.43×
1.24×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AEP
AEP

Transmissionand Distribution Utilities Revenues$1.5B29%
Electric Generation Transmission Distribution Revenues$956.6M19%
Electricity Transmission And Distribution Revenues$931.8M18%
Industrial$685.8M14%
Marketing Competitive Retailand Renewable$438.3M9%
Wholesale Generation$231.1M5%
Wholesale Transmission$113.6M2%
Other$110.2M2%
Electric Transmission$103.4M2%
Other Retail$60.1M1%

MCD
MCD

International Operated Markets$3.6B51%
Other$2.8B40%
International Developmental Licensed Marketsand Corporate$633.0M9%

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