Amazon vs McDonald's: Business Model & Financial Comparison 2026
Amazon · Consumer Cyclical / Internet Retail·McDonald's · Consumer Cyclical / Restaurants
Financial Comparison
| Metric | AMZNAmazon | MCDMcDonald's |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $2.25T | $232.49B |
| Revenue (TTM) | $716.92B | $26.88B |
| Revenue Growth | 13.6% | 9.7% |
| Gross Margin | 50.3% | 57.4% |
| Operating Margin | 10.5% | 45.1% |
| Net Margin | 10.8% | 31.9% |
| Return on Equity | 22.3% | N/A |
| P/E (Trailing) | 29.3x | 27.3x |
| P/E (Forward) | 22.5x | 22.8x |
| Free Cash Flow | $23.79B | $6.30B |
| Cash | $123.03B | $774.0M |
| Total Debt | $178.55B | $54.83B |
Data sourced from Yahoo Finance. Green highlights indicate better performance for that metric. Use the interactive tool for real-time data.
Business Model Comparison
Amazon
Amazon stands as the world's largest e-commerce and cloud computing company. Generating $716.92 billion in annual revenue (growing 13.6% year-over-year) and carrying a market capitalization of $2.35 trillion, the company has cemented its position as a foundational player in the global Internet Retail landscape. Under the leadership of Andy Jassy, Amazon continues to execute on a multi-year strategic vision that balances growth investment with sha…
Full Amazon analysis →McDonald's
McDonald's stands as the world's most valuable restaurant brand, serving 70 million customers daily in 100+ countries. Generating $26.88 billion in annual revenue (growing 9.7% year-over-year) and carrying a market capitalization of $233.67 billion, the company has cemented its position as a foundational player in the global Restaurants landscape. Under the leadership of Chris Kempczyk, McDonald's continues to execute on a multi-year strategic vi…
Full McDonald's analysis →SWOT Analysis Comparison
Strengths
Amazon
- With a market capitalization of $2.35T, Amazon is one of the largest companies in its sector, providing the scale advantages of brand recognition, supplier leverage, and capital access that smaller co
- Amazon's gross margin of 50.3% is well above industry averages, reflecting pricing power, operational efficiency, or a high-value product mix. The operating margin of 10.5% demonstrates disciplined co
- Revenue grew 13.6% year-over-year to $716.92B, indicating strong demand for Amazon's products and services and outperformance relative to many industry peers.
McDonald's
- With a market capitalization of $233.67B, McDonald's is one of the largest companies in its sector, providing the scale advantages of brand recognition, supplier leverage, and capital access that smal
- McDonald's's gross margin of 57.4% is well above industry averages, reflecting pricing power, operational efficiency, or a high-value product mix. The operating margin of 45.1% demonstrates discipline
- McDonald's generated $6.30B in free cash flow, providing financial flexibility to invest in growth initiatives, return capital to shareholders, or strengthen the balance sheet.
Weaknesses
Amazon
- With 1,576,000 employees globally, Amazon faces inherent challenges in agility, decision-making speed, and maintaining a consistent culture across geographies — advantages that smaller, nimbler compet
- Core retail operates near breakeven — AWS and advertising subsidize the e-commerce business
- Labor costs and warehouse expansion create ongoing capital intensity
McDonald's
- With 150,000 employees globally, McDonald's faces inherent challenges in agility, decision-making speed, and maintaining a consistent culture across geographies — advantages that smaller, nimbler comp
- Menu price inflation (20%+ since 2019) has pushed customers toward value-oriented competitors and grocery
- E. coli outbreak (October 2024, Quarter Pounder slivered onions) caused significant traffic and reputational damage
Opportunities
Amazon
- Amazon operates in the Internet Retail segment of the broader Consumer Cyclical sector, which represents a $28 trillion global consumer spending market. Even modest share gains in this environment tra
- Emerging markets — particularly India (1.4B people, rapidly growing middle class), Southeast Asia (700M people), and Sub-Saharan Africa — represent significant untapped addressable markets for Amazon'
- With $123.03B in cash and strong free cash flow generation, Amazon is well-positioned to pursue strategic acquisitions that expand its capabilities, customer base, or geographic reach.
McDonald's
- McDonald's operates in the Restaurants segment of the broader Consumer Cyclical sector, which represents a $28 trillion global consumer spending market. Even modest share gains in this environment tra
- Emerging markets — particularly India (1.4B people, rapidly growing middle class), Southeast Asia (700M people), and Sub-Saharan Africa — represent significant untapped addressable markets for McDonal
- With $774.00M in cash and strong free cash flow generation, McDonald's is well-positioned to pursue strategic acquisitions that expand its capabilities, customer base, or geographic reach.
Threats
Amazon
- Global economic slowdowns, inflation, or rising interest rates can reduce consumer and enterprise spending. Amazon's revenue is not fully insulated from macroeconomic cycles, and a recession scenario
- Increasing government regulation — particularly data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA), antitrust enforcement, and trade restrictions — poses compliance costs and potential restrictions on Amazon's business m
- Competition for skilled technology, engineering, and management talent remains intense. High employee turnover or inability to attract top talent could slow innovation and execution — particularly cri
McDonald's
- Global economic slowdowns, inflation, or rising interest rates can reduce consumer and enterprise spending. McDonald's's revenue is not fully insulated from macroeconomic cycles, and a recession scena
- Increasing government regulation — particularly data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA), antitrust enforcement, and trade restrictions — poses compliance costs and potential restrictions on McDonald's's busine
- Competition for skilled technology, engineering, and management talent remains intense. High employee turnover or inability to attract top talent could slow innovation and execution — particularly cri
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Open Comparison ToolAmazon vs McDonald's: FAQ
- Is Amazon bigger than McDonald's?
- By market capitalization, Amazon is larger at $2.25T vs McDonald's's $232.49B.
- Which has better profit margins — Amazon or McDonald's?
- McDonald's has higher net profit margins (31.9%) compared to Amazon (10.8%). Gross and operating margins are compared in the table above.
- What sectors do Amazon and McDonald's operate in?
- Amazon operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector (Internet Retail). McDonald's operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector (Restaurants).
- How does Amazon's revenue compare to McDonald's's?
- Amazon generates $716.92B in annual revenue (TTM) while McDonald's generates $26.88B. Amazon is the larger company by revenue as of 2026.