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Side-by-side financial comparison of McDonald's (MCD) and Southern Company (SO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
McDonald's is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($7.0B vs $7.0B, roughly 1.0× Southern Company). McDonald's runs the higher net margin — 30.9% vs 4.9%, a 26.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Southern Company posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.1% vs 9.7%). McDonald's produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.6B vs $-1.7B). Over the past eight quarters, McDonald's's revenue compounded faster (6.6% CAGR vs 2.5%).
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.
Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the Southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of 2021 it is the second largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base. Through its subsidiaries it serves 9 million gas and electric utility customers in 6 states. Southern Company's regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120,000-square-mile (310,000 km2) territor...
MCD vs SO — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $7.0B | $7.0B |
| Net Profit | $2.2B | $341.0M |
| Gross Margin | — | — |
| Operating Margin | 45.0% | 13.1% |
| Net Margin | 30.9% | 4.9% |
| Revenue YoY | 9.7% | 10.1% |
| Net Profit YoY | 7.3% | -26.8% |
| EPS (diluted) | $3.03 | $0.38 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $7.0B | $7.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $7.1B | $7.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $6.8B | $7.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $6.0B | $7.8B | ||
| Q4 24 | $6.4B | $6.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $6.9B | $7.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $6.5B | $6.5B | ||
| Q1 24 | $6.2B | $6.6B |
| Q4 25 | $2.2B | $341.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.3B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.3B | $880.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.9B | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.0B | $466.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.3B | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.0B | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.9B | $1.1B |
| 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% | — |
| Q4 25 | 45.0% | 13.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 47.4% | 33.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 47.2% | 25.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 44.5% | 25.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 44.9% | 16.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 46.4% | 32.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 45.0% | 30.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 44.4% | 25.6% |
| Q4 25 | 30.9% | 4.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 32.2% | 21.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 32.9% | 12.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 31.4% | 16.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 31.6% | 7.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 32.8% | 21.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 31.2% | 18.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 31.3% | 16.1% |
| Q4 25 | $3.03 | $0.38 | ||
| Q3 25 | $3.18 | $1.54 | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.14 | $0.79 | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.60 | $1.21 | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.80 | $0.48 | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.13 | $1.39 | ||
| Q2 24 | $2.80 | $1.09 | ||
| Q1 24 | $2.66 | $1.03 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $774.0M | $1.6B |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $40.0B | $65.6B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $-1.8B | $36.0B |
| Total Assets | $59.5B | $155.7B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 1.82× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $774.0M | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.4B | $3.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.9B | $1.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.2B | $2.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.2B | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $792.0M | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 24 | $838.0M | $713.0M |
| Q4 25 | $40.0B | $65.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $64.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $63.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $62.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $38.4B | $58.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $61.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $59.9B | ||
| Q1 24 | — | $59.4B |
| Q4 25 | $-1.8B | $36.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-2.2B | $38.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-2.8B | $37.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $-3.5B | $37.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-3.8B | $33.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $-5.2B | $36.9B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-4.8B | $36.1B | ||
| Q1 24 | $-4.8B | $35.6B |
| Q4 25 | $59.5B | $155.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $60.6B | $153.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $59.6B | $148.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $56.3B | $148.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $55.2B | $145.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $56.2B | $144.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $53.8B | $141.9B | ||
| Q1 24 | $53.5B | $140.1B |
| Q4 25 | — | 1.82× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 1.69× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 1.69× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 1.69× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 1.77× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 1.66× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 1.66× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 1.67× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $2.7B | $2.6B |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $1.6B | $-1.7B |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 23.4% | -24.2% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 15.1% | 61.4% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 1.25× | 7.62× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $7.2B | $-2.9B |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $2.7B | $2.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $3.4B | $3.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.0B | $2.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.4B | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.6B | $2.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.7B | $3.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.7B | $2.7B | ||
| Q1 24 | $2.4B | $1.3B |
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | $-1.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.4B | $559.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.3B | $-619.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.9B | $-1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.8B | $-576.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.9B | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $563.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.8B | $-459.0M |
| Q4 25 | 23.4% | -24.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 34.1% | 7.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 18.3% | -8.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 31.5% | -15.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 28.6% | -9.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 28.3% | 17.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 16.3% | 8.7% | ||
| Q1 24 | 29.9% | -6.9% |
| Q4 25 | 15.1% | 61.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 14.3% | 41.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 10.9% | 40.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 9.3% | 31.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 12.6% | 43.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 11.6% | 31.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 9.7% | 32.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | 8.9% | 26.6% |
| Q4 25 | 1.25× | 7.62× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.50× | 2.21× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.89× | 2.48× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.30× | 0.98× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.30× | 4.66× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.21× | 2.36× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.84× | 2.23× | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.24× | 1.22× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
MCD
| International Operated Markets | $3.6B | 51% |
| Other | $2.8B | 40% |
| International Developmental Licensed Marketsand Corporate | $633.0M | 9% |
SO
| Other | $3.9B | 57% |
| Retail Electric Commercial | $1.6B | 23% |
| Natural Gas Distribution Residential | $689.0M | 10% |
| Natural Gas Distribution Transportation | $371.0M | 5% |
| Wholesale Non Affiliates | $123.0M | 2% |
| Natural Gas Distribution Other | $76.0M | 1% |
| Wholesale Electric Non PPA Revenues | $62.0M | 1% |
| Wholesale Affiliates | $55.0M | 1% |
| Retail Electric Other | $31.0M | 0% |
| Alternative Energy | $20.0M | 0% |
| Natural Gas Distribution Industrial | $15.0M | 0% |
