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How to buy McDonalds shares | $213.38
Own McDonalds shares in just a few minutes. Share price changes are updated daily.
Fact checked
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) is a leading restaurants business based in the US. It opened the day at $212.51 after a previous close of $213.53. During the day the price has varied from a low of $211.17 to a high of $214.14. The latest price was $213.38 (25 minute delay). McDonalds is listed on the NYSE and employs 205,000 staff. All prices are listed in US Dollars.
How to buy shares in McDonalds
- Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
- Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
- Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Search the platform for stock code: MCD in this case.
- Research McDonalds shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
- Buy your McDonalds shares. It's that simple.
What's in this guide?
- Can I buy shares in McDonalds?
- McDonalds shares summary
- Compare share dealing platforms
- Is McDonalds stock a buy or sell?
- McDonalds performance over time
- Can I short McDonalds shares?
- Is McDonalds suitable for ethical investing?
- Are McDonalds shares over-valued?
- McDonalds's financials
- How volatile are McDonalds shares?
- Does McDonalds pay a dividend?
- Have McDonalds shares ever split?
- Other common questions
McDonalds share price
Use our graph to track the performance of MCD stocks over time.McDonalds shares at a glance
Information last updated 2021-01-22.
| Open | $212.51 |
|---|---|
| High | $214.14 |
| Low | $211.17 |
| Close | $213.38 |
| Previous close | $213.53 |
| Change | $-0.15 |
| Change % | -0.07% |
| Volume | 2,196,479 |
Information last updated 2021-01-23.
| 52-week range | $121.9645 - $230.5398 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | $211.7818 |
| 200-day moving average | $211.9878 |
| Wall St. target price | $241.69 |
| PE ratio | 32.5523 |
| Dividend yield | $5.16 (2.42%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | $6.555 |
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All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Is it a good time to buy McDonalds stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
Is McDonalds under- or over-valued?
Valuing McDonalds stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of McDonalds's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
McDonalds's P/E ratio
McDonalds's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 33x. In other words, McDonalds shares trade at around 33x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
However, McDonalds's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the restaurants industry or those of similar companies.
- Dominos Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): 177.79
- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 178.69
McDonalds's PEG ratio
McDonalds's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 3.0588. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into McDonalds's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
However, it's sensible to consider McDonalds's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.
McDonalds's EBITDA
McDonalds's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $9 billion.
The EBITDA is a measure of a McDonalds's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
To put McDonalds's EBITDA into context you can compare it against that of similar companies.
- Dominos Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): £100.2 million
- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): USD$546.1 million
McDonalds financials
| Revenue TTM | $19 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 38.16% |
| Gross profit TTM | $11.1 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 9.41% |
| Return on equity TTM | 0% |
| Profit margin | 25.88% |
| Market capitalisation | $159 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
How to short and sell McDonalds shares
- Create a CFD or spread betting account.
- Search for the stock code. E.g. "MCD.US"
- Choose your position size.
- Select "sell" rather than "buy".
- Confirm your position and keep tabs on it. You may wish to set limits on your position.
There are currently 5.5 million McDonalds shares held short by investors – that's known as McDonalds's "short interest". This figure is 6.5% up from 5.2 million last month.
There are a few different ways that this level of interest in shorting McDonalds shares can be evaluated.
McDonalds's "short interest ratio" (SIR)
McDonalds's "short interest ratio" (SIR) is the quantity of McDonalds shares currently shorted divided by the average quantity of McDonalds shares traded daily (recently around 3.3 million). McDonalds's SIR currently stands at 1.66. In other words for every 100,000 McDonalds shares traded daily on the market, roughly 1660 shares are currently held short.
To gain some more context, you can compare McDonalds's short interest ratio against those of similar companies.
However McDonalds's short interest can also be evaluated against the total number of McDonalds shares, or, against the total number of tradable McDonalds shares (the shares that aren't held by "insiders" or major long-term shareholders – also known as the "float"). In this case McDonalds's short interest could be expressed as 0.01% of the outstanding shares (for every 100,000 McDonalds shares in existence, roughly 10 shares are currently held short) or 0.0074% of the tradable shares (for every 100,000 tradable McDonalds shares, roughly 7 shares are currently held short).
Such a low SIR usually points to an optimistic outlook for the share price, with fewer people currently willing to bet against McDonalds.
Find out more about how you can short McDonalds stock.
McDonalds's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like McDonalds.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
McDonalds's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 22.47
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and McDonalds's overall score of 22.47 (as at 01/01/2019) is pretty good – landing it in it in the 35th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like McDonalds is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
To gain some more context, you can compare McDonalds's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.
McDonalds's environmental score
Environmental score: 2.17/100
McDonalds's environmental score of 2.17 puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that McDonalds is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
McDonalds's social score
Social score: 14.15/100
McDonalds's social score of 14.15 puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that McDonalds is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
McDonalds's governance score
Governance score: 5.15/100
McDonalds's governance score puts it squarely in the 2nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that McDonalds is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
McDonalds's controversy score
Controversy score: 3/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, McDonalds scored a 3 out of 5 for controversy – a middle-of-the-table result reflecting that McDonalds hasn't always managed to keep its nose clean.
Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
McDonald's Corporation was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 22.47 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 35.48 |
| Environmental score | 2.17 |
| Environmental score percentile | 2 |
| Social score | 14.15 |
| Social score percentile | 2 |
| Governance score | 5.15 |
| Governance score percentile | 2 |
| Level of controversy | 3 |
McDonalds share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 79.75% of net profits
Recently McDonalds has paid out, on average, around 79.75% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.42% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), McDonalds shareholders could enjoy a 2.42% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In McDonalds's case, that would currently equate to about $5.16 per share.
McDonalds's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
McDonalds's most recent dividend payout was on 15 December 2020. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 30 November 2020 (the "ex-dividend date").
McDonalds's dividend payout ratio is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.
- Dominos Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): 4,633.33%
- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
Have McDonalds's shares ever split?
McDonalds's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 8 March 1999. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your McDonalds shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for McDonalds shares which in turn could have impacted McDonalds's share price.
McDonalds share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, McDonalds's shares have ranged in value from as little as $121.9645 up to $230.5398. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NYSE average) beta is 1, while McDonalds's is 0.5809. This would suggest that McDonalds's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
To put McDonalds's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.
- Dominos Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): 0.5986
- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 1.3104
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McDonalds overview
McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants in the United States and internationally. Its restaurants offer various food products and beverages, as well as breakfast menu. As of December 31, 2019, the company operated 38,695 restaurants. McDonald's Corporation was founded in 1940 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
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Ask an Expert
Is it possible for me to buy shares even if im not in the business or have never been in the business industry?
Hi Adolphina,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
Yes, you can buy shares even if you’re not in business. As long as you have money to invest, you can do it. You can start by comparing trading platforms on this page, take note of their features, and click on the “Go to site” green button to learn more.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua