McDonald's Corporation (MCD)

Over the past six months, McDonald's stock price has increased by 4.39%. As of July 18, 2025, the share price was $297.07, an increase of 14.46% from July 22, 2024. The all-time high closing price for McDonald's stock was $319.48 on March 7, 2025. The company's stock rose 2.6% in the current year despite higher prices affecting consumers. McDonald's expects gains from extended hours and new beverage options launching later in 2025. Recent events include a settlement regarding pending litigation in June 2025, the announcement of its quarterly cash dividend and first-quarter 2025 results in May 2025, the unveiling of a Minecraft Movie Meal and Happy Meal in March 2025, the end of the doughnut partnership with Krispy Kreme in June 2025, spicing up its McMuffins in July 2025, and Goldman Sachs turning bullish on McDonald's stock due to its value meals in July 2025.

McDonald's products and services experience demand seasonality. McDonald's shares have shown strong seasonal performance in the fourth quarter, with consumer spending picking up during the holiday season. The summer months are also a busy period for McDonald's, leading the company to plan large hiring pushes to meet increased demand. Specific products can also have seasonal demand, such as McFlurry in the summer. McDonald's strategic and operational managers consider these seasonal factors when developing strategies for supply chain, production, and marketing.

McDonald's Corporation is a multinational fast-food chain and one of the world's largest restaurant owner-operators, operating within the Consumer Discretionary sector. It generates revenue through franchise royalty fees, lease payments, and sales from company-operated stores. McDonald's offers a locally relevant menu of food and beverages, including hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes, salads, desserts, and coffee, with notable brands like McCafé.

McDonald's has a vast global presence, with over 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories as of 2024. Approximately a quarter of its locations are in the United States. Other significant markets include mainland China, Japan, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, and Australia. McDonald's ceased operations in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

McDonald's has maintained a strong brand reputation, being recognized as the world's most valuable restaurant brand. In March 2025, its brand value increased by 7% to $40.5 billion, and it earned an AAA+ rating with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 90.5 out of 100. McDonald's excels in familiarity, consideration, and being a preferred brand. However, the past year has also seen events that impacted its reputation, including boycotts in the Middle East due to its Israeli franchise giving free meals to IDF soldiers, backlash over increased prices, and a food recall linked to an E. coli outbreak.

McDonald's Corporation's stock ownership is a mix of institutional, retail, and individual investors. As of December 31, 2024, institutional investors held a significant 72% stake in the company. As of March 31, 2025, McDonald's had 4562 institutional owners and shareholders. Major institutional shareholders include The Vanguard Group, Inc., BlackRock Inc., State Street Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Geode Capital Management LLC. The largest individual McDonald's shareholders include Kevin Ozan, Stephen Easterbrook, and John Rogers, Jr.