McDonald's Corporation
MCDConsumer Cyclical · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
2.95%
Annual Dividend
$7.44
Payout Ratio
60%
5-Yr Growth
7.3%
Ex-Date
Sep 1, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of September 2026, McDonald's Corporation (MCD) yields 2.95% ($7.44 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $215.78 — -15% downside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: A (88/100). 17 years of dividend growth.
Is MCD a good dividend stock?
YesMcDonald's Corporation (MCD) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.95% ($7.44/yr), with 17 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- 17 consecutive years of dividend growth
- Never cut its dividend on record
- Comfortable payout ratio (60%)
- Strong 7.3% 5-yr dividend growth
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Single-stock concentration risk — diversify
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 2.95%
- Payout Ratio
- 60%
- Annual Dividend
- $7.44
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 7.3%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Sep 1, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 17
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.41
- Market Cap
- $178.7B
- P/E Ratio
- 20.5
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 5%
- 52-Week Range
- $252.15 – $341.75
- Dividend Safety
- A · 88/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
Frequently Asked Questions
MCD Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-17%
3 Years
-4%
5 Years
+5%
52-Week Range
$252.15 – $341.75
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is MCD worth?
Fairly valuedhigh confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for McDonald's Corporation is $215.78 per share, versus a market price of $252.53. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$215.78
Current Price
$252.53
Gap
-15%
Margin of Safety
-17%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 11.1% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 7.0% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), 7.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $12.30 EPS, $7.44 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
MCD Dividend Safety Score
Very Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | — | $1.8600 | regular |
| Jun 2, 2026 | — | $1.8600 | regular |
| Mar 3, 2026 | — | $1.8600 | regular |
| Dec 1, 2025 | — | $1.8600 | regular |
| Sep 2, 2025 | — | $1.7700 | regular |
| Jun 2, 2025 | — | $1.7700 | regular |
| Mar 3, 2025 | — | $1.7700 | regular |
| Dec 2, 2024 | — | $1.7700 | regular |
| Sep 3, 2024 | — | $1.6700 | regular |
| Jun 3, 2024 | — | $1.6700 | regular |
| Feb 29, 2024 | — | $1.6700 | regular |
| Nov 30, 2023 | — | $1.6700 | regular |
| Aug 31, 2023 | — | $1.5200 | regular |
| Jun 2, 2023 | — | $1.5200 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $7.44 / yr per share
