Figures as of the Nov 13, 2026 close. Updated after each trading day. Not a recommendation or a forecast.
From Nov 13, 2025 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, $1,000 in Visa (V) became $1,274 and $1,000 in Mastercard (MA) became $1,198, with dividends reinvested.
From Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Visa grew 27.4% a year and Mastercard grew 19.8%. The higher rate, Visa's, came with narrower daily swings. Volatility was 23.0% for Visa and 23.5% for Mastercard. The Sharpe ratio is the yearly return above a fixed 5% risk-free rate, per unit of volatility.
Sharpe ratios were 0.98 for Visa and 0.63 for Mastercard. Over the same dates, the price record shows deepest falls of 17.2% for Visa and 18.5% for Mastercard. From Nov 14, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, betas to the S&P 500 were 0.34 for Visa and 0.31 for Mastercard.
The $1,000 in Visa and the $1,000 in Mastercard swapped places 2 times at month ends. The latest swap came at the end of Feb 2026. Since then, the $1,000 in Visa has been worth more at every month end.
Across all 13 month ends, Visa's value was the higher one at 11 and Mastercard's at 1, and the two were level at 1.
At the end of Jun 2026, $1,000 had become $1,025 in Visa and $927 in Mastercard. In relative terms, that was the widest gap between them at any month end. Neither the $1,000 in Visa nor the $1,000 in Mastercard reached $2,000 at a month end.
The highest month-end values were $1,274 for Visa (Nov 2026) and $1,198 for Mastercard (Nov 2026).
Every row ends at the Nov 13, 2026 close. The "a year" columns give the yearly rate from each start date. There is no 20-year row, because SmartFin's shared prices for Visa and Mastercard start on Mar 19, 2008. The yearly rates were furthest apart over the last year.
Over that span, Visa grew 27.4% a year and Mastercard grew 19.8%. The rates were closest over the full span since Mar 2008: 20.9% for Visa and 21.0% for Mastercard.
Visa's rate over the last year, 27.4%, was above its 10-year rate of 19.3%. Mastercard's last-year rate, 19.8%, was below its 10-year rate of 21.4%. In every row, $1,000 in Visa and $1,000 in Mastercard both ended above $1,000.
| Period | $1,000 in Visa | $1,000 in Mastercard | Visa a year | Mastercard a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since both startedfrom Mar 19, 2008 | $34,354 | $34,924 | 20.9% | 21.0% |
| Last 10 yearsfrom Nov 14, 2016 | $5,829 | $6,931 | 19.3% | 21.4% |
| Last 5 yearsfrom Nov 12, 2021 | $2,081 | $1,874 | 15.8% | 13.4% |
| Last yearfrom Nov 13, 2025 | $1,274 | $1,198 | 27.4% | 19.8% |
At the Nov 13, 2026 close, Visa and Mastercard were both at their highest month-end values so far. On daily closes, the deepest falls of Visa and Mastercard came in the same stretch. Visa fell 17.2% from Jan 6, 2026 to Mar 27, 2026. Mastercard fell 18.5% from Jan 6, 2026 to Jun 3, 2026.
Visa closed back at its old high on Jul 2, 2026, 3 months after the low. Mastercard closed back at its old high on Aug 21, 2026, 2 months after the low. Neither Visa nor Mastercard ended a month 20% or more below its high from Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026.
This page tracks four S&P 500 falls: dot-com, 2008, COVID and 2022. All four lie outside the Visa and Mastercard dates, from Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026.
No full calendar year lies from Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, so there are no yearly bars yet for Visa and Mastercard.
These counts cover 11 full months, Dec 2025 to Oct 2026. Visa rose in 6 of them and Mastercard in 6. Both rose in 6, both fell in 5, and in 0 one rose while the other fell. Visa's largest monthly fall was −8.2% in Jan 2026, and Mastercard's −6.4% in Sep 2026.
Both had their largest monthly rise in Oct 2026: Visa +15.1%, Mastercard +15.9%. Visa's longest run of falling months was 3, ending in Mar 2026. Mastercard's longest run of falling months was 3, ending in Mar 2026.
The latest cell is a part month, from the Oct 30, 2026 close to the Nov 13, 2026 close. Over those days, Visa changed +2.9% and Mastercard +3.6%.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | −8.2 | −0.3 | −5.6 | +9.1 | −0.8 | +5.1 | +6.7 | +3.8 | −5.3 | +15.1 | +2.9 | |
| 2025 | +4.9 |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | −5.5 | −4.0 | −3.4 | +0.8 | −1.8 | +4.0 | +11.8 | +2.8 | −6.4 | +15.9 | +3.6 | |
| 2025 | +3.7 |
The rolling 1-year return is the change over the 12 months to each month end. From Nov 2026 to Nov 2026, Visa's rolling 1-year return ran from +28.1% (12 months to Nov 2026) to +28.1% (to Nov 2026). Over the same months, Mastercard's ran from +20.9% (12 months to Nov 2026) to +20.9% (to Nov 2026).
Neither Visa nor Mastercard had a 12-month loss at any of those 1 month ends. Visa's 12-month change was the higher of the two at every one of those 1 month ends.
These measures cover Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026. Over those dates, volatility was 23.0% for Visa and 23.5% for Mastercard. The Sortino ratio counts only falling days as risk. Against the same 5% rate, Sortino ratios were 1.58 for Visa and 0.94 for Mastercard. The Calmar ratio is the yearly return divided by the deepest fall.
Calmar ratios were 1.60 for Visa and 1.07 for Mastercard.
Beta shows how much Visa and Mastercard tended to move on the days the S&P 500 (SPY) moved. A beta of 1 means moving by the same amount as the index. From Nov 14, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Visa's beta was 0.34 and Mastercard's 0.31. By that measure, both tended to move less than the index.
The correlation of Visa's and Mastercard's daily moves was 0.88, a close link. A correlation of 1 would mean they always moved together, 0 no link and −1 always opposite.
| Measure | Visa | Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility, a year | 23.0% | 23.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.98 | 0.63 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.58 | 0.94 |
| Calmar ratio | 1.60 | 1.07 |
| Deepest fall | 17.2% | 18.5% |
| Beta to the S&P 500from Nov 14, 2025 | 0.34 | 0.31 |
| Upside capturemonths from Dec 2016 | 99% | 111% |
| Downside capturemonths from Dec 2016 | 65% | 74% |
| Biggest one-day rise | +8.26%Apr 29, 2026 | +4.55%Dec 11, 2025 |
| Biggest one-day fall | −4.50%Feb 23, 2026 | −5.77%Feb 23, 2026 |
| Price against its 50-day average | +9.1% | +10.3% |
| Price against its 200-day average | +22.9% | +22.3% |
| Correlation of daily movesfrom Nov 14, 2025 | 0.88 | |
What Visa and Mastercard do, from each company's latest annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Visa Inc. runs a payments network. Its annual report says it provides transaction processing services, mainly authorization, clearing and settlement, among consumers, issuing and acquiring financial institutions and sellers. The company calls this structure the four-party model. Its processing network is called VisaNet.
Financial institution clients use Visa-branded products to offer credit, debit, prepaid and cash access programs to individual, business and government account holders. The filing dates Visa's business to 1958. The company reports one segment, Payment Services. Visa Inc. is a Delaware corporation, and its principal executive offices are in San Francisco, California. Its fiscal year ends on September 30.
Source: 10-K (fiscal 2026, ended September 30, 2026), filed Nov 5, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)
Mastercard Incorporated describes itself as a technology company in the global payments industry. It operates a payments network that switches payment transactions, which the filing defines as authorizing, clearing and settling them. Its brands include Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus.
It also processes automated clearing house transactions and sells services such as security solutions, business and market insights, and processing and gateway solutions. The company reports one operating segment, Payment Solutions. Mastercard Incorporated was incorporated in Delaware in May 2001. Its principal operating subsidiary, Mastercard International Incorporated, was formed in November 1966. The corporate headquarters is in Purchase, New York.
Its fiscal year ends on December 31.
Source: 10-K (fiscal 2025, ended December 31, 2025), filed Feb 11, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)
It depends on the period. Visa had the higher total return over the last 5 years and the last year. Mastercard had the higher total return over the full span since Mar 2008 and the last 10 years. From Mar 19, 2008 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, Visa returned +3,335% in total and Mastercard +3,392%.
Both include reinvested dividends, before taxes and fees. Over the last 10 years, Visa returned +483% and Mastercard +593%. Over the last 5 years, Visa returned +108% and Mastercard +87.4%. Over the last year, Visa returned +27.4% and Mastercard +19.8%. None of these Visa and Mastercard figures is a forecast.
SmartFin does not say which to buy. This page reports what Visa and Mastercard prices did. From Nov 13, 2025 to Nov 13, 2026, Visa grew 27.4% a year and Mastercard grew 19.8%. The record shows deepest falls of 17.2% for Visa and 18.5% for Mastercard. Past returns for Visa and Mastercard do not show what either will do next.
Yes. Every V and MA figure here uses closing prices adjusted for stock splits and dividends, so dividends count as reinvested. Taxes, fees and trading costs are left out of the Visa and Mastercard figures.
At the Nov 13, 2026 close, both Visa and Mastercard were at their highest month-end values. Visa's deepest fall on daily closes was 17.2%, from Jan 2026 to Mar 2026. Mastercard's deepest fall was 18.5%, from Jan 2026 to Jun 2026.
Compare Visa and Mastercard with your own amount and dates in Compare Two Stocks
Daily closing prices adjusted for stock splits, with dividends reinvested, before taxes and fees. Both amounts are invested at the same close and valued at the Nov 13, 2026 close. See also: What if you invested in Visa · What if you invested in Mastercard.
This page presents historical market data and calculated results for a defined period. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold the security, fund, or index shown. Past performance is not indicative of future results.