LemmaAnalysis
Login
Quality score · MA · Financials

Is Mastercard a quality business?

Operates the same card network model as Visa, with a larger tilt toward cross-border volume and value-added services.

8.8/ 10
Exceptional quality
as of September 11, 2026
Profitability
9.8 Strong
Solvency
Growth
7.3 Strong
Efficiency
8.9 Strong
Predictability
9.1 Strong
Strongest pillar: Profitability · Weakest: Growth

Mastercard (MA) scores 8.8 out of 10 as of September 11, 2026, computed from its reported financial statements. That reads as exceptional quality. The reading rests on profitability, and growth is what holds it back.

One pillar, solvency, is unscored because the filings behind it carry too little to judge. It is shown as a dash rather than a zero, and the overall score is the weighted average of what could be scored.

Data provided by Twelve Data. Scores are computed by Lemma Analysis from reported financials.

Why quality is the interesting question for Mastercard

Structurally near-identical to its closest peer, which makes this the cleanest available test of whether a quality score picks up second-order differences at all. Cross-border mix and services growth should appear in growth and efficiency rather than in profitability. Comparing the two pillar by pillar is more informative than either score alone.

What each pillar measures

Profitability

9.8 / 10

How much profit the company generates from its capital and sales.

Solvency

The company’s ability to service debt and meet its obligations.

Growth

7.3 / 10

How fast revenue, earnings and cash flow are compounding.

Efficiency

8.9 / 10

How well assets and earnings convert into cash and output.

Predictability

9.1 / 10

How stable and consistent results have been over time.

How this score is calculated

Each metric is scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks, where higher is better. Metrics roll up into five pillars, and the pillars combine into the overall score using the weights shown. Sector-sensitive metrics are judged relative to peers in the same sector.

Limitations

This score is a systematic, backward-looking read of reported fundamentals. It does not judge valuation, management quality, competitive moat, or future prospects, and can be distorted by one-off items or unusual accounting. Treat it as a starting point, not a recommendation.

Educational only. Not investment advice.

FAQ

Is Mastercard a quality business?

On this reading Mastercard scores 8.8 out of 10, which reads as exceptional quality. Its strongest pillar is profitability, its weakest is growth. Quality is not the same as a good investment: the score says nothing about the price you would pay.

What does the MA quality score measure?

Five pillars, each scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks and then weighted into one overall reading: profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability. Everything comes from reported financials, and nothing comes from price, sentiment or forecasts.

How current is this score?

It was last recomputed on September 11, 2026. The score moves with the financial statements, i.e. quarterly, so this page changes when a new filing changes the answer rather than on a schedule. Live figures for MA are in the app.

Does a high score mean the stock is cheap?

No. Quality and valuation are separate questions, and a good business at the wrong price is still a bad purchase. Score the business here, then price it with a DCF you control.

Other companies scored

SPGI · S&P GlobalAAPL · AppleMSFT · MicrosoftNVDA · NVIDIAAll quality scoresFinancials screener

Score any company, not just these.

Inside Lemma Analysis the same five pillars run on every company we cover, with the metrics behind each one, current fundamentals, a DCF you control and a watchlist that tells you when the price catches up.

Free to start · No credit card