McDonald's Corporation
Global quick-service restaurant chain operating franchised and company-operated restaurants across 100+ countries
What the page says before deeper research
Quality, growth, value, ownership, risk, and source confidence.
Moat 92/100 with low retention risk.
Growth appears mixed from +6.8% YoY revenue growth.
Forward P/E of 21.1x versus +6.8% growth gives a 3.1x multiple-to-growth read.
No SEC-backed 13F layer is matched yet, so ownership confirmation is unavailable.
Monitor valuation, retention, and AI disruption risk.
Fundamentals from finnhub as of 2026-05-17; ownership confirmation is not available here.
Use revenue growth to see whether McDonald's is still expanding before focusing on valuation.
Beginner valuation check
Data pending from FMP or Finnhub.
Negative price performance shows recent market sentiment, not a full investment thesis.
Forward P/E around 21.1x means investors pay about $21.1 for each expected $1 of future profit per share, usually the next 12 months or next fiscal year. It is a forecast, not a fact.
A P/E around 22.6x means investors pay about $22.6 for each $1 the company earned per share over the last 12 months, usually the last four quarterly reports.
Source: market data index. As of May 21, 2026. P/E can be unavailable or misleading when earnings are negative.
Beginner guide
McDonald's makes hamburgers, fries, and Happy Meals with toys. They have restaurants with golden arches all around the world where families eat.
Global quick-service restaurant chain operating franchised and company-operated restaurants across 100+ countries
McDonald's Corporation makes money through U.S. Operated Restaurants (~30% of revenue), International Operated Markets (~30% of revenue), and Franchised & Developmental (~40% of revenue).
Franchise system creates 99%+ customer retention through standardized operations and brand recognition
McDonald's Corporation can disappoint if execution, competition, valuation, or demand cycles weaken growth, margins, customer retention, or investor confidence.
McDonald's Corporation is like a familiar storefront: the bet is that customers keep coming back and the company protects margins.
You are basically betting that McDonald's Corporation can keep turning u.s. operated restaurants into durable value while managing execution, competition, valuation, or demand cycles.
A 0-100 shortcut for how defensible the business looks in this company brief. McDonald's Corporation is scored at 92.
How painful it is for customers to leave. this company brief rates McDonald's Corporation as high.
Whether existing customers tend to spend more or less over time. The company brief model uses 104%.
The main pieces of the company here are U.S. Operated Restaurants, International Operated Markets, and Franchised & Developmental.
Price divided by earnings. It is a quick valuation check, but it can mislead when earnings are temporarily high, low, or negative.
A quarterly filing that shows what many large institutional investors owned at quarter end.
The first four questions
McDonald's franchise model and brand standardization support recurring demand, with the franchised business contributing about 40% of revenue and the broader system tied to high customer retention.
MCD can disappoint if traffic softens, execution slips, competition intensifies, or valuation stays ahead of growth while recent price weakness continues.
Forward P/E (21.1x)
Next earnings date unavailable from configured sources.
Bull / Neutral / Bear
MCD continues operating as a defensive global restaurant compounder, but the market mainly watches whether a 21.1x forward P/E still makes sense versus growth and business quality.
Forward P/E remains in line with steady, mid-single-digit growth.
The franchise system continues to convert brand strength into recurring sales and fees, while the business keeps showing positive revenue growth around the current +6.8% level or better.
Revenue growth stays positive and the franchised business remains the main engine.
MCD continues operating as a defensive global restaurant compounder, but the market mainly watches whether a 21.1x forward P/E still makes sense versus growth and business quality.
Forward P/E remains in line with steady, mid-single-digit growth.
The stock can struggle if customer demand weakens, competition pressures traffic, or investor confidence fades while recent price performance stays negative.
Revenue growth slows, traffic softens, or ownership flow does not offset weaker sentiment.
Beginner checklist
Needs earnings calendar data from a provider.
Use revenue growth to see whether McDonald's is still expanding before focusing on valuation.
Margin trend needs company financial statement data; do not infer it from price movement.
Forward P/E is the main valuation anchor here, but it should be read alongside growth and business quality.
No SEC-backed ownership rows are available for this ticker yet.
Needs insider transaction data from a provider.
For MCD, the most important operating engine is the franchised system that generates fees and rent from about 95% of restaurants.
McDonald's Corporation is exposure to consumer discretionary operating model with high switching costs and 104% net revenue retention.
Franchise system creates 99%+ customer retention through standardized operations and brand recognition
The main question is whether the company can keep customer value compounding without margin pressure eroding the moat.
Pro access unlocks the workflow simulator for this company brief.
Simulator coverage pending
This ticker has a company brief, but richer workflow modules have not been built yet.
No SEC-backed 13F rows are matched for this ticker yet. We do not fabricate ownership rows.
- Franchise system creates 99%+ customer retention through standardized operations and brand recognition
- Supply chain integration with 15,000+ suppliers creates massive switching costs for franchisees
- Real estate portfolio and site selection algorithms provide geographic competitive moats
- Mobile app and loyalty platform drive repeat purchase behavior and customer data collection
- Training systems (Hamburger University) create operational excellence and workforce retention