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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
GuruFocus Financial Strength Rank measures how strong a company's financial situation is. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. The debt burden that the company has as measured by its Interest Coverage (current year). The higher, the better.
2. Debt to revenue ratio. The lower, the better.
3. Altman Z-Score.
4. Other debt related ratios.
A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
McDonald's's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 7.21.
McDonald's's debt to revenue ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 2.11.
As of today, McDonald's's Altman Z-Score is 4.68.
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
McDonald's has the Financial Strength Rank of 4.
McDonald's Financial Strength Related Terms
XSWX:MCD vs SBUX, YUM, CMG: Financial Strength Comparison
For the Restaurants subindustry, McDonald's's Financial Strength, along with its competitors' market caps and Financial Strength 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 Financial Strength vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, McDonald's's Financial Strength distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where McDonald's's Financial Strength falls into.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:
Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Z-Score is less than 1.81, it is in Distress Zones.
When Z-Score is greater than 2.99, it is in Safe Zones.
When Z-Score is between 1.81 and 2.99, it is in Grey Zones.
McDonald's has a Z-score of 4.68, indicating it is in Safe Zones. This implies the Z-Score is strong.
Good Sign:
Altman Z-score of 4.68 is strong.
* 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.
McDonald's (XSWX:MCD) has a Financial Strength of 4 as of Mar. 2026. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on McDonald's and its competitors. This is 33% above median its historical median of 3.00. Over the past decade, McDonald's' Financial Strength has ranged from 2.00 to 4.00.
Is McDonald's' Financial Strength too high?
McDonald's' current Financial Strength of 4 is 33% above median its 10-year median of 3.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.00 to a high of 4.00. Overall, McDonald's has a GF Score™ of 73/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does McDonald's' Financial Strength compare to SBUX and YUM?
McDonald's' Financial Strength of 4 can be compared against companies in the Restaurants industry. Historically, McDonald's' own Financial Strength has ranged from 2.00 to 4.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Financial Strength for a Restaurants company?
A good Financial Strength depends on the Restaurants industry context. However, Financial Strength should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Financial Strength mean?
A high Financial Strength can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on McDonald's and its competitors. McDonald's's current Financial Strength is 4, which is 33% above median its own 10-year median of 3.00. 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 Financial Strength of 4. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF268.26, compared to a current price of CHF219.75 — trading 18.1% below its estimated fair value. The current Financial Strength is 4, which is 33% above median its 10-year median of 3.00. McDonald's' overall GF Score™ is 73/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Financial Strength calculated?
Financial Strength is calculated from a company's financial statements. For McDonald's (XSWX:MCD), the current Financial Strength is 4 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 CHF219.75 is trading 18.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF268.26.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:MCD:
Financial Strength: 4 (33% above median its 10-year median of 3.00)
GF Value™: CHF268.26 vs. price of CHF219.75 (18.1% below fair value)
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%).
73GF Score
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Financial Strength is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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