How to buy McDonalds shares in the UK

McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) is a publicly traded restaurants business based in the US which employs around 100,000 staff. McDonalds is listed on the NYSE and traded in US dollars. Its current price of $251.3 is 2.4% down on its price a month ago ($257.38).

How to buy shares in McDonalds

Open a brokerage account. Choose from our top broker picks or compare brokers in depth. Then, complete an application.
Fund your account. Add money to your account via bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
Search the platform by ticker symbol. MCD in this case.
Choose an order type. Place a market order or limit order with your preferred number of shares or dollar amount.
Submit the order. It's that simple.

The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.

Our top picks for where to buy McDonalds shares

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We analysed all popular share dealing platforms in the UK using 35 data points and combined this with our expert insight from using the apps. The platforms we've selected as best for each category offer stand-out features or a unique combination of elements for a specific aspect of investing. If we show a "Promoted for" pick, it's been chosen from among our partners and is based on factors that include special features or offers, and the commission we receive. Keep in mind that our picks may not always be the best for you – it's important to compare for yourself. More details in our full methodology.

Fees calculator for buying McDonalds shares with popular apps

Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs estimated here should be considered as a guide only. They don't factor in spreads, which can be hard to pin down. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing.

Quantity of shares

Finder Score	Account fee	Min. initial deposit	Trade cost	Link
4.3 ★★★★★	£0	$100	£990.05	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.3 ★★★★★	0.12% per year	£0	£977.92	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.4 ★★★★★	£0	£0	£980.30	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.4 ★★★★★	£0	£0	£980.30	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.2 ★★★★★	£0	£1	£997.13	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.4 ★★★★★	0% - 0.25%	£100	N/A	Go to siteCapital at risk
4.1 ★★★★★	£0	£0	£979.08	Read reviewCapital at risk
4.7 ★★★★★	£0	£1	£976.88	Read reviewCapital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

These providers cover a wide range of stocks, but we can't guarantee they'll all offer this stock.

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.

Buying shares in just one company is generally considered a riskier bet than investing in a range of investments - AKA a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend holding a mix of investments in specific assets and funds. Funds are ready-made portfolios of multiple companies' shares (potentially including McDonalds), and the idea is that drops in the value of one constituent company's share price might be offset by rises in others.

McDonalds is a major part of the NYSE, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Fund	5-year performance (to May 2024)	1-year performance (to May 2024)	Link to invest
Invesco S&P 500 (SPXP)	102.77%	27.87%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk
Xtrackers S&P 500 Swap (XSPX)	102.19%	27.64%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk
Vanguard S&P 500 (VUSA)	100.35%	27.51%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk
iShares Core S&P 500 (CSP1)	100.34%	27.52%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPX5)	100.01%	27.49%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk
HSBC S&P 500 (HSPX)	101.10%	27.87%	Invest with XTBCapital at risk

Is it a good time to buy McDonalds stock?

Review technicals and fundamentals to help you determine if now's a good time for you to invest.

Technical analysis

View McDonalds's price performance, share price volatility, historical data and technicals.

Use our graph to track the performance of MCD stock over time.

Historical closes compared with the last close of $251.3

1 week (2024-07-17)	-3.17%
1 month (2024-06-24)	-2.36%
3 months (2024-04-24)	-8.82%
6 months (2024-01-24)	-15.45%
1 year (2023-07-24)	-14.04%
2 years (2022-07-24)	0.37%
3 years (2021-07-22)	3.43%
5 years (2019-07-24)	17.19%

The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.

Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.

Invest in McDonalds shares

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Is McDonalds under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the McDonalds P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA.

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 22x. In other words, McDonalds's shares trade at around 22x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the United States stock markets on average as of November 09, 2023 (20.44). 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 industry or those of similar companies.

Domino’s Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): 11.43
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 56.79

McDonalds's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 1.9285. A PEG ratio over 1 can be interpreted as meaning shares are overvalued at the current rate of growth, or may anticipate an acceleration in growth.

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.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 2.58

McDonalds's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $13.8 billion (£10.7 billion).

The EBITDA is a measure of McDonalds's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.

To put that into context you can compare it against similar companies.

Domino’s Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): £118 million
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): USD$2 billion

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Frequently asked questions

Dividend yield: 2.56% of stock value
Forward annual dividend yield: 2.56% of stock value
Dividend payout ratio: 54.37% of net profits

McDonalds has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 2.56% of its share value annually.

McDonalds has paid out, on average, around 54.37% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.56% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 2.56% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In McDonalds's case, that would currently equate to about 6.38 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 16 June 2024. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 2 June 2024 (the "ex-dividend date").

McDonalds's dividend yield is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.
- Domino’s Pizza Group (DOM.LSE): 3.28% (3.28% forward annual dividend yield)
- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
McDonalds's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 7 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.
It's as easy to sell McDonalds as it is to buy! Here's how to sell McDonalds shares that you already own.
1. Open your investment app. If you've got one with desktop access, you can log in online
2. Go to your portfolio. This should be in the main menu
3. Find your shares. You may be able to search your portfolio
4. Choose how many you'd like to sell. You'll be able to review the price and see how much you'll receive
5. Sell your McDonalds shares. Your investment platform will let you know when your shares are sold

McDonalds financials

Revenue TTM	$25.8 billion
Operating margin TTM	44.21%
Gross profit TTM	$13.2 billion
Return on assets TTM	13.99%
Return on equity TTM	0%
Profit margin	33.36%
Book value	$-6.71
Market capitalisation	$187 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

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2 Responses

AdolphinaDecember 28, 2018

Is it possible for me to buy shares even if im not in the business or have never been in the business industry?

Finder

JoshuaDecember 30, 2018Finder

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

How to buy McDonalds shares

McDonalds shares have fallen 0.82% from their previous closing price ($253.37). Learn how to easily invest in McDonalds shares in the UK.

How to buy shares in McDonalds

Our top picks for where to buy McDonalds shares

How we chose these trading apps

Fees calculator for buying McDonalds shares with popular apps

Alternative ways to invest in McDonalds

Is it a good time to buy McDonalds stock?

Technical analysis

Is McDonalds under- or over-valued?

Frequently asked questions

Does McDonalds pay dividends?

What percentage of McDonalds is owned by insiders or institutions?

When does the fiscal year end for McDonalds?

Where is McDonalds based?

Have McDonalds's shares ever split?

How to sell McDonalds shares

Can you buy McDonalds shares with a debit card?

What's the easiest way to buy McDonalds shares?

Do you need to complete a W8-BEN form if you want to invest in McDonalds

What is the key financial information for McDonalds?

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