IDT vs. MA

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

IDT (IDT Corporation) and MA (Mastercard Incorporated) are both stocks. IDT operates in Telecom Services (Communication Services), while MA operates in Credit Services (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, IDT returned 18.83%/yr vs 17.95%/yr for MA. At a 0.26 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

IDT vs. MA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in IDT Corporation (IDT) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDT achieves a 5.66% return, which is significantly higher than MA's -17.13% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IDT having a 18.83% annualized return and MA not far behind at 17.95%.

IDT

• 1D: -2.49%
• 1M: 4.14%
• YTD: 5.66%
• 6M: 8.24%
• 1Y: -8.00%
• 3Y*: 20.04%
• 5Y*: 9.99%
• 10Y*: 18.83%

MA

• 1D: -1.28%
• 1M: -6.58%
• YTD: -17.13%
• 6M: -14.57%
• 1Y: -18.49%
• 3Y*: 8.69%
• 5Y*: 5.81%
• 10Y*: 17.95%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IDT vs. MA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IDT IDT Corporation	5.66%	8.22%	40.09%	21.02%	-36.21%	257.28%	71.43%	16.48%	-29.46%	-38.46%
MA Mastercard Incorporated	-17.13%	9.04%	24.17%	23.40%	-2.66%	1.16%	20.19%	59.16%	25.31%	47.69%

Correlation

The correlation between IDT and MA is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.28
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 26, 2006	0.26

Fundamentals

Market Cap IDT : $1.36B MA : $421.09B
EPS IDT : $4.46 MA : $17.28
PE Ratio IDT : 12.11 MA : 27.30
PEG Ratio IDT : 0.84 MA : 1.59
PS Ratio IDT : 1.08 MA : 12.52
PB Ratio IDT : 4.00 MA : 62.64
Total Revenue (TTM) IDT : $1.26B MA : $33.94B
Gross Profit (TTM) IDT : $465.91M MA : $26.70B
EBITDA (TTM) IDT : $123.73M MA : $21.23B

Return for Risk

IDT vs. MA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

IDT

IDT Risk / Return Rank: 31
IDT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
IDT Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
IDT Omega Ratio Rank: 27
IDT Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
IDT Martin Ratio Rank: 34

MA

MA Risk / Return Rank: 7
MA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
MA Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
MA Omega Ratio Rank: 11
MA Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
MA Martin Ratio Rank: 1

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

IDT vs. MA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IDT Corporation (IDT) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	IDT	MA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.23	-0.84	+0.61
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.08	-1.07	+0.98
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	0.87	+0.12
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.24	-0.89	+0.65
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.34	-1.84	+1.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IDT vs. MA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IDT Sharpe Ratio is -0.23, which is higher than the MA Sharpe Ratio of -0.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IDT and MA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IDT	MA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.23	-0.84	+0.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	0.24	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35	0.67	-0.32
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.83	-0.70

Drawdowns

IDT vs. MA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDT drawdown since its inception was -99.05%, which is greater than MA's maximum drawdown of -62.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDT and MA.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDT	MA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.05%	-62.67%	-36.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-33.19%	-20.91%	-12.28%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-33.19%	-20.91%	-12.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-66.93%	-28.25%	-38.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-72.52%	-41.00%	-31.52%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-22.41%	-20.91%	-1.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-50.35%	-9.82%	-40.53%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	23.68%	10.06%	+13.62%

Volatility

IDT vs. MA - Volatility Comparison

IDT Corporation (IDT) has a higher volatility of 7.02% compared to Mastercard Incorporated (MA) at 5.95%. This indicates that IDT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IDT	MA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.02%	5.95%	+1.07%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.33%	17.27%	+0.06%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.82%	22.03%	+12.79%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	43.47%	23.96%	+19.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	54.60%	26.91%	+27.69%

Dividends

IDT vs. MA - Dividend Comparison

IDT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.46%, less than MA's 0.69% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDT IDT Corporation	0.46%	0.47%	0.42%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.68%	8.96%	3.93%	11.75%
MA Mastercard Incorporated	0.69%	0.53%	0.50%	0.53%	0.56%	0.49%	0.45%	0.44%	0.53%	0.58%	0.74%	0.66%

Financials

IDT vs. MA - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between IDT Corporation and Mastercard Incorporated over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

IDT - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IDT Corporation reported a gross profit of 121.28M and revenue of 320.52M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 37.8%.

MA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported a gross profit of 4.91B and revenue of 8.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.4%.

IDT - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IDT Corporation reported an operating income of 27.63M and revenue of 320.52M, resulting in an operating margin of 8.6%.

MA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported an operating income of 4.91B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 58.4%.

IDT - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IDT Corporation reported a net income of 51.46M and revenue of 320.52M, resulting in a net margin of 16.1%.

MA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Mastercard Incorporated reported a net income of 3.88B and revenue of 8.40B, resulting in a net margin of 46.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IDT and MA in my portfolio?

IDT and MA have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, IDT or MA?

IDT has higher volatility (7.02%) compared to MA (5.95%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IDT dropped -99.05% vs MA's -62.67%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

IDT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.23 vs -0.84), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.