McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Fundamental Checkup
McDonald's Corporation fundamental checkup using revenue growth, EPS growth, free cash flow, margins, ROIC, debt-to-equity, and TGMCharts chart exhibits as of August 7, 2026.
By TGMCharts Research · Data as of · Updated
McDonald's Corporation gets a balanced fundamental read when revenue growth of 6.95%, EPS growth of 13.58%, free-cash-flow growth of 5.78%, net margin of 31.62%, and ROIC of 17.44% support the same story.
The checkup weighs operating growth, shareholder conversion, cash conversion, reinvestment quality, and balance-sheet flexibility. Current ratio is 1.14x and debt-to-equity is -42.68x, so the balance-sheet read is part of the final view rather than a footnote.
- McDonald's Corporation has market cap of $195.02B and closed at $274 on August 7, 2026.
- Five-year revenue CAGR is 6.95% and five-year EPS CAGR is 13.58%.
- Five-year free-cash-flow CAGR is 5.78%.
- Net margin is 31.62% and ROIC is 17.44%.
- Current ratio is 1.14x and debt-to-equity is -42.68x.
Fundamental snapshot
The valuation, growth, profitability, and balance-sheet facts behind the checkup.
The Read
McDonald's Corporation should be read through one research question: do growth, cash conversion, profitability quality, balance-sheet flexibility, and valuation point to the same fundamental story? The latest close is $274 as of August 7, 2026, but the checkup starts with business evidence before returning to the market price.
The answer starts with five-year revenue CAGR of 6.95% and five-year EPS CAGR of 13.58%, then tests that growth against five-year free-cash-flow CAGR of 5.78%. A serious fundamental note should not let one growth line carry the whole argument.
Current compounder snapshot · MCD
Live supporting context; not part of the article's frozen 2026-08-07 evidence snapshot.
- Score
- 17/100
- 10Y CAGR
- 0.6%
- Median YoY
- -0.5%
- YoY volatility
- σ 12.4pp· uneven
- Quarters ≥ 20%
- 1 of 40
- Negative quarters
- 22
- Valuation vs own 10Y history
- P/S 7.1x · 10Y median 7.9x · 35th percentile · as of Aug 7, 2026
How this score is computed
- Quarters at or above 20%: 1 of 40 → 1 of 40 pts
- Steadiness (typical swing 12.4pp) → 16.1 of 25 pts
- Pace (median -0.5% YoY) → 0 of 20 pts
- Latest quarter (9.4% YoY) → 0 of 15 pts
- Score: 17 of 100
Annual revenue · last 11 fiscal years
Quarterly YoY revenue growth vs the 20% line
P/S multiple vs its 10Y median
Business Quality Snapshot
McDonald's Corporation operates in Consumer Cyclical, so the article treats the company as an operating business with measurable growth, margin, reinvestment, and balance-sheet evidence. The snapshot keeps market cap, valuation, growth, quality, and leverage in one view before the prose moves into the chart exhibits.
Fundamental evidence table
A compact cross-check of valuation, growth, quality, and financial flexibility.
MCD revenue
Revenue history shows whether the business has been expanding before margins and per-share metrics are considered.
Five-year revenue CAGR: 6.95%. This is endpoint-to-endpoint from the fiscal years shown — a depressed start year can inflate it, so read it against the recent bars.
Five-year revenue CAGR of 6.95% is the top-line test. A fundamental checkup becomes more durable when revenue growth is paired with earnings growth instead of depending only on margin expansion.
Growth Conversion
Growth conversion asks whether sales growth becomes per-share earnings. Revenue growth of 6.95% is the top-line evidence, while EPS growth of 13.58% shows shareholder conversion. If EPS outpaces revenue, the next section has to check whether that came with durable cash flow and margin quality.
MCD EPS
EPS history shows how much of the business growth has reached shareholders.
Five-year EPS CAGR: 13.58%. This is endpoint-to-endpoint from the fiscal years shown — a depressed or negative start year can inflate it, so read it against the recent bars.
Five-year EPS CAGR of 13.58% is the shareholder conversion check. If EPS grows faster than revenue, the note should ask whether that came from margin quality, buybacks, or a temporary base effect.
Cash Flow Support
Cash flow is the first counterpoint to an earnings-led story. Five-year free-cash-flow CAGR is 5.78%, so the free-cash-flow exhibit sits immediately after the growth-conversion section. If cash flow lags EPS, the article should reduce confidence in the quality of the earnings path.
MCD free cash flow
Free cash flow checks whether earnings are converting into owner cash.
Five-year free-cash-flow CAGR: 5.78%. This is endpoint-to-endpoint from the fiscal years shown — a depressed or negative start year can inflate it, so read it against the recent bars.
Free-cash-flow CAGR of 5.78% is the counterweight to the EPS story. If cash flow lags earnings, the quality of the fundamental setup deserves a more cautious reading.
Margin And ROIC Quality
The quality read depends on whether net margin of 31.62% and ROIC of 17.44% support the growth record. Margins show how much revenue becomes profit, while ROIC tests whether reinvested capital is earning enough to make growth more valuable.
MCD net margin
Net margin is the operating-quality check behind the growth record.
Net margin (TTM): 31.62%. The bars below are annual fiscal years.
Net margin of 31.62% shows how much revenue becomes profit. The checkup is stronger when margin quality supports EPS growth rather than simply flattering one recent period.
MCD ROIC Chart
ROIC tests whether the business earns enough on reinvested capital to deserve attention.
Latest ROIC: 17.44%.
ROIC of 17.44% is the reinvestment-quality check. A business with stronger returns can support a better long-term read even when the valuation is not obviously cheap.
Balance Sheet Flexibility
Balance-sheet flexibility is the guardrail around the growth story. Current ratio is 1.14x and debt-to-equity is -42.68x. Those figures matter because a company can show growth and margins while still losing flexibility if leverage rises or liquidity tightens.
MCD debt-to-equity Chart
Debt-to-equity keeps the checkup honest about balance-sheet flexibility.
Latest debt-to-equity ratio: -42.68x.
Debt-to-equity of -42.68x and current ratio of 1.14x are the balance-sheet checks. They matter because growth and margins are less valuable if financial flexibility is narrowing.
Valuation Context
Valuation is the final context, not the opening verdict. The stock trades at 22.63x trailing earnings and offers an earnings yield of 4.42%. That tells the reader how much growth and quality the market is already asking the business to defend.
MCD Price Chart
Latest close: $274 as of August 7, 2026.
The close at $274 is not the conclusion, but it is the market reference point. The fundamental read has to explain whether growth, margins, and balance-sheet support justify the price investors are paying.
Bull/Bear Case
The bull case is that revenue, EPS, free cash flow, margins, ROIC, and financial flexibility keep reinforcing the same business-quality read. The bear case is that one of those links breaks while valuation still reflects the stronger historical record. This is where the note turns from metric list to research judgment.
Bull and bear case
Fundamental support
- Five-year revenue CAGR of 6.95% and five-year EPS CAGR of 13.58% support the business case.
- Net margin of 31.62% and ROIC of 17.44% are the quality checks behind the thesis.
Fundamental pressure
- Free-cash-flow CAGR of 5.78% can weaken the read if it falls away from EPS growth.
- Debt-to-equity of -42.68x and current ratio of 1.14x are the balance-sheet checks that can change the view.
Final Read
The final read should change if the daily data updates move revenue growth, EPS growth, free-cash-flow growth, ROIC, or debt-to-equity away from the evidence above. It is general research context only, not personalized investment advice or a buy or sell call.
FAQ
What is the fundamental read on MCD?
McDonald's Corporation is judged through revenue growth of 6.95%, EPS growth of 13.58%, free-cash-flow growth of 5.78%, net margin of 31.62%, and ROIC of 17.44%.
Which MCD fundamental metric matters most?
No single metric carries the article. The checkup requires growth, cash conversion, profitability quality, balance-sheet flexibility, and valuation to be read together.
When should this MCD checkup refresh?
Its figures are as of August 7, 2026, the note's dated snapshot; a note whose figures stop verifying against reported data is corrected or unpublished.
What would change our mind
- Revenue growth moving away from the current five-year CAGR of 6.95%.
- Free-cash-flow growth drifting away from five-year EPS CAGR of 13.58%.
- ROIC or balance-sheet flexibility weakening from ROIC of 17.44% and debt-to-equity of -42.68x.
The bottom line
McDonald's Corporation fundamental research note from TGMCharts Research, grounded in a dated fundamentals snapshot, chart exhibits, and linked source facts.
Read next: Is McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Fairly Valued?Valuation on McDonald's Corporation — from the same data-checked research desk.How we checked this researchShowHide
Data snapshot · By TGMCharts Research.
Every number in this note comes from data we compute and store ourselves from the company's reported figures, plus verbatim excerpts from its SEC filings. When a value isn't available we say so — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Latest filing excerpt
10-Q · filed 2026-05-07 · period 2026-03-31 · SEC EDGAR source
- “In addition to the comparable sales results, the Company had the following financial results: Consolidated revenues increased 9% (4% in constant currencies).”
- “Systemwide sales increased 11% (6% in constant currencies).”
- “Consolidated operating income increased 12% (6% in constant currencies).”
- “Excluding these current and prior year charges, consolidated operating income increased 11% (5% in constant currencies).”
Source pages
Exhibit sources
Research trail
Every number, checked
Every numeric or dated claim in this note was checked against our stored company data before publishing — each figure below links to the page it comes from.