Key facts, as of
As of October 16, 2026, McDonald's Corporation (MCD) trades at $242.97, down 20.4% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $229.20 to $341.75; the price is 28.9% below that high. It is 28.9% below its all-time high of $341.75, reached in March 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +154.6%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 15.0% below its 200-day average of $285.95, the usual sign of a long-term downtrend. Its 30-day volatility is 21.5% annualized, which we rate medium risk. It has a trailing P/E of 19.7 and a dividend yield of 3.18%.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "McDonald's Corporation (MCD) stock analysis", 2026-10-16. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/mcd
Where it trades today
trading 12% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) is 28.9% below its all-time high of $341.75, reached in March 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +154.6%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Demand sensitivity, pricing power, and how exposed the business is to macro slowdowns matter more than headline growth alone.
- MCD is valued near its sector range at 19.7x earnings versus 20.0x for peers, so the next move likely needs a real earnings or guidance catalyst.
- Recent realized volatility sits near 21.5%, below the sector norm of 26.0%, which supports a steadier role inside a diversified portfolio.
- Relative performance versus AMZN, TSLA, HD matters here because leadership inside consumer cyclical rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- MCD is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- It is best monitored alongside valuation discipline, because strong narratives in consumer cyclical can stay expensive longer than expected.
What Would Change the View
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as AMZN, TSLA, HD start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for MCD come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Consumer Cyclical so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as AMZN, TSLA, HD.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for MCD. Last refresh: Oct 16, 2026, 10:11 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as AMZN, TSLA, HD.
What McDonald's Corporation does
McDonald's Corporation owns, operates, and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, frozen desserts, sundaes, soft serve cones, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions. The company owns and operates franchised restaurants under various structures, including conventional franchise, developmental license, or affiliate. McDonald's Corporation was founded in 1940 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
What analysts expect
MCD carries a buy consensus from 29 analysts, with an average price target of $292.03 versus $242.97 today (+20.2%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
MCD generated $27.70B in trailing revenue (3.7% year over year), with a 31.7% net margin, and $6.26B of free cash flow, against $53.78B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $26.89B | $15.43B | $12.39B | $8.56B | $12.05 | $7.19B |
| 2024 | $25.92B | $14.71B | $11.85B | $8.22B | $11.50 | $6.67B |
| 2023 | $25.50B | $14.56B | $11.75B | $8.47B | $11.72 | $7.25B |
| 2022 | $23.18B | $13.21B | $10.35B | $6.18B | $8.45 | $5.49B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
MCD is in 20 of the 54 ETFs we track. It weighs most in XLY: 4.28% of the fund, holding #4 of 47.
Famous investors who hold it
MCD is in the latest 13F of 3 of the 15 famous investors we follow. George Soros (Soros Fund Management) holds the most of it: 0.41% of the portfolio, position #77 of 261, as of Q2 2026.
How it sits in consumer cyclical
Discretionary spending sector sensitive to economic cycles, including retail and automotive.
The companies it competes with
MCD beside the consumer cyclical names it is usually measured against.
AMZNAmazon.com Inc.$250.00$2.70TWhat the chart is saying
In a downtrend, below both moving averages.
downtrend- Price is 3.8% below its 50-day average and 15.0% below its 200-day.
- RSI at 52 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $263.74 (+8.5%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is MCD a good investment in 2026?
McDonald's Corporation trades at a P/E ratio of 19.7, with medium volatility (21.5% annualized). The stock is in a consolidation phase.
What is the risk level of MCD?
Based on 30-day volatility of 21.5%, MCD has MEDIUM risk. Beta of 0.45 indicates lower sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does MCD pay dividends?
Yes, McDonald's Corporation has a dividend yield of 3.18%.
How far is MCD from its all-time high?
McDonald's Corporation is 28.9% below its all-time high of $341.75, reached in March 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +154.6%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold MCD?
20 of the 54 popular ETFs we track hold McDonald's Corporation. The largest weights: XLY (4.28%), DIA (2.74%), VIG (0.80%), VYM (0.75%) and JEPI (0.54%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to October 14, 2026.
How much of VOO is MCD?
0.28%, as of August 31, 2026: MCD is holding #60 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $2.83 in McDonald's Corporation.
Which famous investors own MCD?
George Soros (0.41% of Soros Fund Management's 13F), Bill Gates (0.26% of Gates Foundation Trust's 13F) and Renaissance Technologies (0.13% of Founded by Jim Simons's 13F), according to their latest Form 13F filings with the SEC (Q2 2026). A 13F lists US long positions 45 days after the quarter ends, so it can be out of date.
What is the analyst price target for MCD?
The average analyst price target for McDonald's Corporation (MCD) is $292.03 based on 29 analyst estimates, about 20.2% above the current price of $242.97. The published range runs from $230.00 to $390.00.
How much revenue does MCD generate?
McDonald's Corporation reported $27.70B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 3.7% year over year. Net margin sits at 31.7%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare MCD with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.