McDonald's (MCD) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a leading global quick-service restaurant chain that primarily operates and franchises a system of restaurants serving a variety of menu items. The company’s core business involves the development, operation and franchising of restaurants under the McDonald’s name, offering customers consistent and convenient dining experiences. With a diversified mix of company-owned and franchised restaurants, McDonald’s leverages its scale to negotiate favorable terms with suppliers, maintain standardized operations and invest in innovations that enhance customer satisfaction.

The company’s menu features iconic offerings such as hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and breakfast items, complemented by evolving beverage and dessert options. In recent years, McDonald’s has expanded its digital capabilities by rolling out mobile ordering, self-service kiosks and delivery partnerships to meet the changing preferences of consumers. Its drive-thru and curbside pickup services continue to be key drivers of convenience, particularly in markets where speed and accessibility remain top priorities for customers.

Founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald and later transformed into a franchising powerhouse by Ray Kroc, McDonald’s has grown into one of the world’s most recognizable brands. The company opened its first international restaurant in Canada in 1967 and has since expanded to over 100 countries, serving millions of customers daily. McDonald’s global presence is supported by regional development and supply chain partnerships that customize offerings to local tastes while maintaining the brand’s core identity.

Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s continues to focus on digital transformation, sustainability and menu innovation. The executive team and board of directors prioritize shareholder value by driving systemwide sales growth and optimizing restaurant performance. Strategic initiatives addressing environmental impact, workforce diversity and community engagement underscore McDonald’s commitment to long-term growth and responsible business practices.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $297.29 to $302.74
• 50-Day Range: $285.78 to $321.23
• 52-Week Range: $246.12 to $326.32
• Volume: 4.49 million shs
• Average Volume: 3.53 million shs
• Market Capitalization: $214.37 billion
• P/E Ratio: 26.46
• Dividend Yield: 2.36%
• Price Target: $322.29
• Consensus Rating: Hold

McDonald's Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

McDonald's scored higher than 89% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 40th out of 213 stocks in the retail/wholesale sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 2.2 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

McDonald's has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.45, and is based on 14 buy ratings, 14 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

McDonald's has been the subject of 16 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 8.24%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for McDonald's are expected to grow by 8.24% in the coming year, from $12.25 to $13.26 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of McDonald's is 26.46, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.91.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of McDonald's is 26.46, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Retail/Wholesale sector average P/E ratio of about 29.04.

Price to Earnings Growth Ratio

McDonald's has a PEG Ratio of 3.11. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.

Short Interest

• Score: 3.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.18% of the float of McDonald's has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

McDonald's has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in McDonald's has recently increased by 8.47%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 4.2 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Yield

McDonald's pays a meaningful dividend of 2.37%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

McDonald's has been increasing its dividend for 49 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of McDonald's is 62.49%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, McDonald's will have a dividend payout ratio of 53.39% next year. This indicates that McDonald's will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 1.1 / 5
• Environmental Score: -2.39

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.18% of the float of McDonald's has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

McDonald's has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in McDonald's has recently increased by 8.47%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 3.2 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.83

News Sentiment

McDonald's has a news sentiment score of 0.83. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This news sentiment score is similar to the average news sentiment of Retail/Wholesale companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 94 news articles for McDonald's this week, compared to 72 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

65 people have searched for MCD on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 38% compared to the previous 30 days.

MarketBeat Follows

30 people have added McDonald's to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 50% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Insider Trading: Selling Shares

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, McDonald's insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $1,165,843.00 in company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 0.25% of the stock of McDonald's is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

70.29% of the stock of McDonald's is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

MCD Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have MCD shares performed this year?

McDonald's' stock was trading at $289.89 on January 1st, 2025. Since then, MCD shares have increased by 3.4% and is now trading at $299.80.

How were McDonald's' earnings last quarter?

McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May, 1st. The fast-food giant reported $2.67 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.67. The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis.
Read the conference call transcript.

Does McDonald's have any subsidiaries?

McDonald's subsidiaries include these companies: Caspers Company, Apprente, Dynamic Yield, Boston Market, Donatos Pizza, 3267114 Nova Scotia Company, Asia Pacific McD Franchising, and more.

Who are McDonald's' major shareholders?

McDonald's' top institutional shareholders include Swedbank AB (0.15%), Assenagon Asset Management S.A. (0.08%), Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC (0.06%) and Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd (0.05%). Insiders that own company stock include Christopher J Kempczinski, Ian Frederick Borden, Heidi B Capozzi, Joseph M Erlinger, Edith Morgan Flatley, Tiffanie L Boyd, Manuel Jm Steijaert, Catherine M Engelbert, Marion K Gross, Catherine A Hoovel, Jo Sempels, Anthony Capuano, Jonathan Banner and Kareem Daniel.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of McDonald's?

Shares of MCD stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of McDonald's own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that McDonald's investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META), Chevron (CVX), Home Depot (HD), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Walmart (WMT) and Exxon Mobil (XOM).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 5/01/2025
• Record date for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Dividend Payable: 6/16/2025
• Today: 7/11/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 8/06/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Retail/Wholesale
• Industry: RETAIL - RESTRNTS
• Sub-Industry: Restaurants
• Current Symbol: NYSE:MCD
• Previous Symbol: NYSE:MCD
• CIK: 63908
• Web: corporate.mcdonalds.com
• Phone: (630) 623-3000
• Fax: 630-623-5004
• Employees: 150,000
• Year Founded: 1955

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for McDonald's: $322.29
• High Price Target: $365.00
• Low Price Target: $260.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +7.5%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.45
• Research Coverage: 29 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $11.33
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 26.46
• Forward P/E Ratio: 24.47
• P/E Growth: 3.11
• Net Income: $8.22 billion
• Net Margins: 31.75%
• Pretax Margin: 39.94%
• Return on Equity: -195.27%
• Return on Assets: 15.21%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: N/A
• Current Ratio: 1.18
• Quick Ratio: 1.17

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $25.92 billion
• Price / Sales: 8.27
• Cash Flow: $14.80 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 20.26
• Book Value: ($5.30) per share
• Price / Book: -56.57

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 715,030,000
• Free Float: 713,245,000
• Market Cap: $214.37 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.53