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

Northrop Grumman is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.9B vs $7.0B, roughly 1.4× McDonald's). McDonald's runs the higher net margin — 30.9% vs 8.9%, a 22.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, McDonald's posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.7% vs 4.4%). McDonald's produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.6B vs $-1.8B). Over the past eight quarters, McDonald's's revenue compounded faster (6.6% CAGR vs -1.7%).

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.

Northrop Grumman Corporation, headquartered in West Falls Church, Virginia, is an American aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures systems for aeronautics, defense, missions, and space. The company is the 5th largest contractor of the U.S. federal government; it receives over 2% of total spending by the federal government of the United States on contractors.

MCD vs NOC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NOC
NOC
1.4× larger
NOC
$9.9B
$7.0B
MCD
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MCD
MCD
+5.3% gap
MCD
9.7%
4.4%
NOC
Higher net margin
MCD
MCD
22.0% more per $
MCD
30.9%
8.9%
NOC
More free cash flow
MCD
MCD
$3.5B more FCF
MCD
$1.6B
$-1.8B
NOC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
MCD
MCD
Annualised
MCD
6.6%
-1.7%
NOC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Revenue
$7.0B
$9.9B
Net Profit
$2.2B
$875.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
45.0%
1.9%
Net Margin
30.9%
8.9%
Revenue YoY
9.7%
4.4%
Net Profit YoY
7.3%
81.9%
EPS (diluted)
$3.03
$6.14

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
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$9.9B
Q4 25
$7.0B
$11.7B
Q3 25
$7.1B
$10.4B
Q2 25
$6.8B
$10.4B
Q1 25
$6.0B
$9.5B
Q4 24
$6.4B
$10.7B
Q3 24
$6.9B
$10.0B
Q2 24
$6.5B
$10.2B
Net Profit
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$875.0M
Q4 25
$2.2B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$2.3B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$2.3B
$1.2B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$481.0M
Q4 24
$2.0B
$1.3B
Q3 24
$2.3B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$2.0B
$940.0M
Gross Margin
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
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
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
1.9%
Q4 25
45.0%
10.9%
Q3 25
47.4%
11.9%
Q2 25
47.2%
13.8%
Q1 25
44.5%
6.1%
Q4 24
44.9%
10.2%
Q3 24
46.4%
11.2%
Q2 24
45.0%
10.7%
Net Margin
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
8.9%
Q4 25
30.9%
12.2%
Q3 25
32.2%
10.6%
Q2 25
32.9%
11.3%
Q1 25
31.4%
5.1%
Q4 24
31.6%
11.8%
Q3 24
32.8%
10.3%
Q2 24
31.2%
9.2%
EPS (diluted)
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$6.14
Q4 25
$3.03
$9.94
Q3 25
$3.18
$7.67
Q2 25
$3.14
$8.15
Q1 25
$2.60
$3.32
Q4 24
$2.80
$8.66
Q3 24
$3.13
$7.00
Q2 24
$2.80
$6.36

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$774.0M
$2.1B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$40.0B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$-1.8B
$17.1B
Total Assets
$59.5B
$50.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$2.1B
Q4 25
$774.0M
$4.4B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$2.0B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.7B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$4.4B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$3.3B
Q2 24
$792.0M
$3.3B
Total Debt
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$40.0B
$15.2B
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$38.4B
$14.7B
Q3 24
Q2 24
Stockholders' Equity
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$17.1B
Q4 25
$-1.8B
$16.7B
Q3 25
$-2.2B
$16.0B
Q2 25
$-2.8B
$15.5B
Q1 25
$-3.5B
$15.0B
Q4 24
$-3.8B
$15.3B
Q3 24
$-5.2B
$14.7B
Q2 24
$-4.8B
$14.3B
Total Assets
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$50.0B
Q4 25
$59.5B
$51.4B
Q3 25
$60.6B
$49.3B
Q2 25
$59.6B
$49.5B
Q1 25
$56.3B
$48.5B
Q4 24
$55.2B
$49.4B
Q3 24
$56.2B
$48.3B
Q2 24
$53.8B
$47.7B
Debt / Equity
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.91×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.96×
Q3 24
Q2 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$2.7B
$-1.7B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.6B
$-1.8B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
23.4%
-18.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
15.1%
1.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.25×
-1.89×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$7.2B
$3.3B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$-1.7B
Q4 25
$2.7B
$3.9B
Q3 25
$3.4B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$2.0B
$868.0M
Q1 25
$2.4B
$-1.6B
Q4 24
$2.6B
$2.6B
Q3 24
$2.7B
$1.1B
Q2 24
$1.7B
$1.4B
Free Cash Flow
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
$-1.8B
Q4 25
$1.6B
$3.2B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$637.0M
Q1 25
$1.9B
$-1.8B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$730.0M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$1.1B
FCF Margin
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
-18.4%
Q4 25
23.4%
27.6%
Q3 25
34.1%
12.1%
Q2 25
18.3%
6.2%
Q1 25
31.5%
-19.2%
Q4 24
28.6%
16.5%
Q3 24
28.3%
7.3%
Q2 24
16.3%
10.8%
Capex Intensity
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
1.7%
Q4 25
15.1%
5.7%
Q3 25
14.3%
2.9%
Q2 25
10.9%
2.2%
Q1 25
9.3%
2.7%
Q4 24
12.6%
7.6%
Q3 24
11.6%
3.6%
Q2 24
9.7%
3.1%
Cash Conversion
MCD
MCD
NOC
NOC
Q1 26
-1.89×
Q4 25
1.25×
2.73×
Q3 25
1.50×
1.42×
Q2 25
0.89×
0.74×
Q1 25
1.30×
-3.25×
Q4 24
1.30×
2.04×
Q3 24
1.21×
1.06×
Q2 24
0.84×
1.52×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MCD
MCD

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

NOC
NOC

Aeronautics Systems$3.3B33%
Mission Systems$2.9B29%
Space Systems$2.5B25%
Other$1.3B13%

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