Buyback yield (TTM)
0.89%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
3.24%
5Y share count change
-4.5%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$1.98B
Cumulative buybacks
$84.92B
Key takeaways
- McDonald's (MCD) repurchased about $1.98B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 4.5% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 13.81× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +17.8% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 106% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for McDonald's (MCD)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for McDonald's (MCD)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for McDonald's (MCD)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for McDonald's (MCD)
Latest: $2.06B
Overview
In 2025, McDonald's (MCD) buyback spend totalled $2.06B – declined 27.2% year-over-year.
Looking at the 2020–2025 (5 years) stretch, McDonald's buyback spend compounded at +17.8% per year, with mixed annual results across the window.
McDonald's buyback spend plunged from $11.17B in 2016 to $2.06B in 2025, a 81.6% drawdown.
The record annual buyback spend stands at $11.17B, reached in 2016; the historical low of $79.70M was recorded in 1992.
McDonald's Buyback Spend 2025: $2.06B
2025's buyback spend for McDonald's came in at $2.06B, declined 27.2% below 2024.
McDonald's Buyback Spend 2024: $2.82B
McDonald's posted buyback spend of $2.82B in 2024, declined 7.5% below 2023.
McDonald's Buyback Spend 2023: $3.05B
In 2023, McDonald's reported buyback spend of $3.05B, declined 21.6% below 2022.
McDonald's Buyback Spend 2022: $3.90B
McDonald's buyback spend in 2022 was $3.90B, surged 360.8% from 2021.
McDonald's Buyback Spend 2021: $845.50M
McDonald's buyback spend in 2021 was $845.50M.
See more financial history for McDonald's (MCD).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $2.06B | $0.00 | $2.06B | 0.94% | 0.72B | -0.8% | |
| 2024 | $2.82B | $172.00M | $2.65B | 1.36% | 0.72B | -1.4% | |
| 2023 | $3.05B | $175.20M | $2.88B | 1.42% | 0.73B | -1.2% | |
| 2022 | $3.90B | $167.00M | $3.73B | 2.02% | 0.74B | -1.4% | |
| 2021 | $845.50M | $139.20M | $706.30M | 0.42% | 0.75B | +0.2% | |
| 2020 | $907.80M | $92.40M | $815.40M | 0.57% | 0.75B | -1.9% | |
| 2019 | $4.98B | $109.60M | $4.87B | 3.37% | 0.76B | -2.6% | |
| 2018 | $5.21B | $125.10M | $5.08B | 3.82% | 0.79B | -3.7% | |
| 2017 | $4.69B | $117.50M | $4.57B | 3.43% | 0.82B | -5.3% | |
| 2016 | $11.17B | $131.30M | $11.04B | 11.21% | 0.86B | -8.8% | |
| 2015 | $6.10B | $110.00M | $5.99B | 5.69% | 0.94B | -4.2% | |
| 2014 | $3.20B | $112.80M | $3.09B | 3.55% | 0.99B | -2.0% | |
| 2013 | $1.78B | $89.10M | $1.69B | 1.85% | 1.01B | -1.4% | |
| 2012 | $2.62B | $93.40M | $2.52B | 2.96% | 1.02B | -2.4% | |
| 2011 | $3.36B | $86.20M | $3.28B | 3.30% | 1.04B | -3.3% | |
| 2010 | $2.70B | $83.10M | $2.62B | 3.39% | 1.08B | -2.4% | |
| 2009 | $2.80B | $112.90M | $2.68B | 4.16% | 1.11B | -3.4% | |
| 2008 | $3.92B | $112.50M | $3.81B | 5.71% | 1.15B | -5.4% | |
| 2007 | $3.94B | $142.40M | $3.80B | 5.84% | 1.21B | -3.2% | |
| 2006 | $2.96B | $122.50M | $2.84B | 5.56% | 1.25B | -1.8% | |
| 2005 | $1.20B | $154.10M | $1.05B | 2.84% | 1.27B | +0.0% | |
| 2004 | $621.00M | $0.00 | $621.00M | 1.53% | 1.27B | -0.2% | |
| 2003 | $391.00M | $0.00 | $391.00M | 1.25% | 1.28B | -0.4% | |
| 2002 | $670.20M | $0.00 | $670.20M | 3.28% | 1.28B | -2.1% | |
| 2001 | $1.07B | $0.00 | $1.07B | 3.16% | 1.31B | -3.5% | |
| 2000 | $2.02B | $0.00 | $2.02B | — | 1.36B | -3.4% | |
| 1999 | $891.50M | $0.00 | $891.50M | — | 1.40B | -0.1% | |
| 1998 | $1.09B | $0.00 | $1.09B | — | 1.41B | -0.0% | |
| 1997 | $1.11B | $0.00 | $1.11B | — | 1.41B | -1.7% | |
| 1996 | $599.90M | $0.00 | $599.90M | — | 1.43B | — | |
| 1995 | $314.50M | $0.00 | $314.50M | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $495.60M | $0.00 | $495.60M | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $620.10M | $0.00 | $620.10M | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $79.70M | $0.00 | $79.70M | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $109.20M | $0.00 | $109.20M | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $160.30M | $0.00 | $160.30M | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $479.00M | $0.00 | $479.00M | — | — | — |
- 2025$2.06B
- 2024$2.82B
- 2023$3.05B
- 2022$3.90B
- 2021$845.50M
- 2020$907.80M
- 2019$4.98B
- 2018$5.21B
- 2017$4.69B
- 2016$11.17B
- 2015$6.10B
- 2014$3.20B
- 2013$1.78B
- 2012$2.62B
- 2011$3.36B
- 2010$2.70B
- 2009$2.80B
- 2008$3.92B
- 2007$3.94B
- 2006$2.96B
- 2005$1.20B
- 2004$621.00M
- 2003$391.00M
- 2002$670.20M
- 2001$1.07B
- 2000$2.02B
- 1999$891.50M
- 1998$1.09B
- 1997$1.11B
- 1996$599.90M
- 1995$314.50M
- 1994$495.60M
- 1993$620.10M
- 1992$79.70M
- 1991$109.20M
- 1990$160.30M
- 1989$479.00M
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for McDonald's (MCD)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 13.81×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for McDonald's (MCD)
How McDonald's splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as McDonald's, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $6.44B | |
| $2.52B | |
| $1.10B | |
| $211.00M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $6.44B
- $2.52B
- $1.10B
- $211.00M
- $0.00
- $0.00
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $1.87B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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