McDonald's Corporation

MDO.DE

Restaurants · Consumer Cyclical

Price

€231.30

-0.40 (-0.17%)

Market Cap

€164.34B

Exchange

Frankfurt Stock Exchange

Winston Score

Winston is curious

Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.

Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026

How the score breaks down

Quality

Strong

Growth

Mixed

Cash Flow

Exceptional

Stability

Mixed

Valuation

Good

Dividends

Mixed

Track this stock — start free trial

Share count falling — buybacks

−4.7% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 751.8M (2021) → 716.4M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

McDonald's is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, serving burgers, fries, chicken, and breakfast items to everyday consumers. It operates or franchises roughly 40,000 restaurants across more than 100 countries. The company owns iconic brands like the Big Mac and Happy Meal, and its golden arches logo is one of the most recognized symbols on the planet.

Most McDonald's locations are run by independent franchisees, who pay McDonald's fees and a percentage of their sales in exchange for the right to use its brand and systems. This franchise model means McDonald's collects relatively predictable revenue without owning most of the restaurants itself, which helps explain its unusually high operating margins. The company's main competitive advantages are its global scale, real estate holdings, and brand recognition, but it faces ongoing pressure from rising food costs, shifting consumer preferences toward healthier eating, and intense competition from rivals like Burger King and Wendy's.

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+3.8% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Slow revenue growth

EPS Growth

+6.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Slow EPS growth

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

0.1%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$3.7B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth context

McDonald's Corporation is growing revenue at 4% year-over-year. The Winston Score measures business quality today — these growth metrics show what could matter tomorrow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale

Gross Margin

58.0%

Premium pricing power — 58.0% gross margin

Profit after running costs

Operating Margin

46.5%

Excellent — 46.5% operating margin

Return on the money invested

ROCE

8.5%

Below par — 8.5% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Growth

Sales growth

Sales YoY

+6.2%

Slow sales growth (+6.2% YoY)

Profit growth

EPS YoY

+5.2%

Modest earnings growth (+5.2% YoY)

Single-digit earnings growth — steady but not exciting.

How steady the profit is

EPS Consistency

5/8 quarters

Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash

Cash Conversion

129%

Turns 129% of profit into real cash

Spare cash per sale

FCF Margin

28.0%

Converts sales into free cash efficiently (28.0%)

Free cash flow margin above 20%. Out of every $100 in sales, more than $20 is real cash they keep.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Stability

What it owes vs what it owns

Debt / Equity

N/A

—

Data not available

Covers its interest

Interest Cover

7.48x

Adequate interest coverage (7.5x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Valuation

Price vs profit

P/E Ratio (TTM)

18.7x

Fair value — P/E 18.7

P/E in the normal range. Price is roughly $15 for every $1 of yearly profit.

Cheaper or dearer next year

P/E vs Forward

+0.3

GROWING

Earnings roughly flat

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Dividends

Dividend

Dividend Yield

2.77%

Moderate income — 2.77% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record

Dividend Growth

-0.6%

Dividend cut (-0.6% YoY) — warning sign

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

🔒 See full fundamentals and if they are improving or declining — click here for your free trial now.

Start free trial