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McDonald'sXSWX:MCD -0.69%74 Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 4.63% as of Mar. 2026, which is 3% above its 10-year median of 4.50. GuruFocus rates XSWX:MCD with a GF Score™ of 74/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF265.62. The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 364 Restaurants companies, McDonald's ranks better than 57.69% on this metric.
McDonald's's Enterprise Value for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was CHF217,462 Mil.
McDonald's's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was CHF10,155 Mil. McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 4.63%.
The historical rank and industry rank for McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:MCD'
s Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.39 Med: 4.5 Max: 6.52
Current: 5.14
During the past 13 years, the highest Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) of McDonald's was 6.52%. The lowest was 3.39%. And the median was 4.50%.
XSWX:MCD's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than 57.69% of 364
companies
in the Restaurants industry
Industry Median: 3.94
vs XSWX:MCD: 5.14
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
A better indicator of the attractiveness of an investment which takes growth into account is the Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. McDonald's's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 11.60%. The Forward Rate of Return uses the normalized Free Cash Flow of the past five years, and considers growth. The forward rate of return can be thought of as the return that investors buying the stock today can expect from it in the future.
Joel Greenblatt defines the earnings yield using the above equation because it more accurately reflects the company's profitability relative to its stock price. Items like interest payment and tax etc. are not directly related to the company's operational profitability.
Enterprise Value instead of market cap (share price) is used in the calculation because it is the real price stock and bond investors together pay for the company.
Be Aware
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
McDonald's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
McDonald's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Restaurants subindustry, McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
McDonald's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where McDonald's's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
In his book, The Little That Beat the Market, hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt defines Earnings Yield as operating income divided by enterprise value.
McDonald'ss Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
McDonald's's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was CHF10,155 Mil.
What does a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 4.63% mean?
McDonald's (XSWX:MCD) has a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 4.63% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on McDonald's and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 4.50. Over the past decade, McDonald's' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 3.39 to 6.52. According to the industry distribution chart, McDonald's ranks #154 out of 364 companies in the Restaurants industry, placing it in the top 42.3%.
Is McDonald's' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
McDonald's' current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 4.63% is near median its 10-year median of 4.50. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.39 to a high of 6.52. The Restaurants industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.94. McDonald's' value of 4.63% is 17.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, McDonald's ranks #154 out of 364 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, McDonald's has a GF Score™ of 74/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does McDonald's' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to SBUX and YUM?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, McDonald's ranks #154 out of 364 companies for Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %. This puts McDonald's in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.94. McDonald's' value of 4.63% is 17.5% above this benchmark. Historically, McDonald's' own Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 3.39 to 6.52 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.50 vs. the industry median of 3.94, McDonald's has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Restaurants company?
The median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % among Restaurants companies is 3.94, based on 364 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. McDonald's's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 4.63% is 17.5% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on McDonald's and its competitors. For the Restaurants industry, the median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.94 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. McDonald's's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 4.63%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 4.50. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is McDonald's stock overvalued right now?
McDonald's (XSWX:MCD) has a current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 4.63%. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF265.62, compared to a current price of CHF221.60 — trading 16.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 4.63%, which is near median its 10-year median of 4.50 and 17.5% above the Restaurants industry median of 3.94. McDonald's' overall GF Score™ is 74/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For McDonald's (XSWX:MCD), the current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 4.63% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is McDonald's (XSWX:MCD) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, McDonald's stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF221.60 is trading 16.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF265.62.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:MCD:
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %: 4.63% (near median its 10-year median of 4.50)
GF Value™: CHF265.62 vs. price of CHF221.60 (16.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 17.5% above the Restaurants median (#154 of 364)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:MCD stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant brand, with nearly $139 billion in systemwide sales across more than 45,000 restaurants and over 100 markets. The quick-service chain built its early reputation on speed, consistency, and affordable hamburgers, and today its global menu spans burgers, chicken, breakfast, and beverages that have helped popularize American fast-food cuisine worldwide. The firm derives the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and rent (about 62%), with the remainder stemming from company-operated restaurants across three segments: the United States (39% of systemwide sales), international operated markets (35%), and international developmental/licensed markets (26%).
74GF Score
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Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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