MMS vs. MCD

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

MMS (Maximus, Inc.) and MCD (McDonald's Corporation) are both stocks. MMS operates in Specialty Business Services (Industrials), while MCD operates in Restaurants (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, MMS returned 2.08%/yr vs 11.23%/yr for MCD. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

MMS vs. MCD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Maximus, Inc. (MMS) and McDonald's Corporation (MCD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, MMS achieves a -28.72% return, which is significantly lower than MCD's -8.46% return. Over the past 10 years, MMS has underperformed MCD with an annualized return of 2.08%, while MCD has yielded a comparatively higher 11.23% annualized return.

MMS

• 1D: -2.42%
• 1M: -6.59%
• YTD: -28.72%
• 6M: -28.87%
• 1Y: -12.95%
• 3Y*: -8.45%
• 5Y*: -6.06%
• 10Y*: 2.08%

MCD

• 1D: 0.77%
• 1M: -2.93%
• YTD: -8.46%
• 6M: -6.96%
• 1Y: -9.47%
• 3Y*: 0.76%
• 5Y*: 5.93%
• 10Y*: 11.23%

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

MMS vs. MCD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
MMS Maximus, Inc.	-28.72%	17.47%	-9.70%	16.01%	-6.39%	10.31%	-0.07%	15.90%	-8.53%	28.68%
MCD McDonald's Corporation	-8.46%	7.89%	0.14%	15.06%	0.51%	27.79%	11.30%	13.97%	5.78%	45.05%

Correlation

The correlation between MMS and MCD is 0.06, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.06
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.21
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 16, 1997	0.27

Over the past year, the correlation between MMS and MCD has dropped to 0.06 - well below their long-term average of 0.27, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap MMS : $3.35B MCD : $197.18B
EPS MMS : $6.66 MCD : $12.13
PE Ratio MMS : 9.15 MCD : 22.78
PEG Ratio MMS : 0.72 MCD : 3.67
PS Ratio MMS : 0.64 MCD : 7.20
Total Revenue (TTM) MMS : $5.32B MCD : $27.45B
Gross Profit (TTM) MMS : $1.31B MCD : $12.10B
EBITDA (TTM) MMS : $654.04M MCD : $14.46B

Return for Risk

MMS vs. MCD — Risk / Return Rank

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

MMS

MMS Risk / Return Rank: 24
MMS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
MMS Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
MMS Omega Ratio Rank: 21
MMS Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
MMS Martin Ratio Rank: 25

MCD

MCD Risk / Return Rank: 16
MCD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
MCD Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
MCD Omega Ratio Rank: 16
MCD Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
MCD Martin Ratio Rank: 10

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.

MMS vs. MCD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Maximus, Inc. (MMS) and McDonald's Corporation (MCD). 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.

	MMS	MCD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.41	-0.58	+0.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.36	-0.73	+0.37
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.95	0.92	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.37	-0.49	+0.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.80	-1.30	+0.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MMS vs. MCD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MMS Sharpe Ratio is -0.41, which is comparable to the MCD Sharpe Ratio of -0.58. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MMS and MCD, 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

	MMS	MCD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.41	-0.58	+0.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.22	0.35	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.08	0.55	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	0.53	-0.22

Drawdowns

MMS vs. MCD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MMS drawdown since its inception was -61.45%, smaller than the maximum MCD drawdown of -73.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MMS and MCD.

Drawdown Indicators

	MMS	MCD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.45%	-73.20%	+11.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-39.65%	-19.04%	-20.61%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-39.65%	-19.04%	-20.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.75%	-19.04%	-20.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-40.40%	-36.90%	-3.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-37.80%	-17.96%	-19.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.88%	-14.89%	-1.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	18.13%	7.14%	+10.99%

Volatility

MMS vs. MCD - Volatility Comparison

Maximus, Inc. (MMS) has a higher volatility of 9.38% compared to McDonald's Corporation (MCD) at 4.75%. This indicates that MMS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MCD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MMS	MCD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.38%	4.75%	+4.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.43%	12.18%	+15.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.69%	16.38%	+15.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.72%	17.24%	+10.48%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.59%	20.39%	+7.20%

Dividends

MMS vs. MCD - Dividend Comparison

MMS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.07%, less than MCD's 2.66% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MCD McDonald's Corporation	2.66%	2.35%	2.34%	2.10%	2.15%	1.96%	2.35%	2.39%	2.36%	2.23%	2.97%	2.91%
MMS Maximus, Inc.	2.07%	1.39%	1.61%	1.36%	1.53%	1.41%	1.53%	1.38%	0.59%	0.25%	0.32%	0.32%

Financials

MMS vs. MCD - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Maximus, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

MMS - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported a gross profit of 362.56M and revenue of 1.31B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 27.8%.

MCD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 6.52B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

MMS - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported an operating income of 148.49M and revenue of 1.31B, resulting in an operating margin of 11.4%.

MCD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported an operating income of 2.95B and revenue of 6.52B, resulting in an operating margin of 45.3%.

MMS - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Maximus, Inc. reported a net income of 98.06M and revenue of 1.31B, resulting in a net margin of 7.5%.

MCD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported a net income of 1.98B and revenue of 6.52B, resulting in a net margin of 30.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both MMS and MCD in my portfolio?

MMS and MCD have a correlation of 0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, MMS or MCD?

MMS has higher volatility (9.38%) compared to MCD (4.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MMS dropped -61.45% vs MCD's -73.20%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

MMS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.41 vs -0.58), 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.