McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Dividend
Dividend Aristocrat — 48 consecutive years of dividend increases.
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) currently pays a dividend yield of 2.71%, distributing $7.44 per share annually ($1.86 per quarter). The company operates in the Consumer Discretionary sector.
MCD has raised its dividend for 48 consecutive years, making it a Dividend Aristocrat — an S&P 500 company with at least 25 straight years of dividend increases.
MCD dividend at a glance
| Dividend Yield | 2.71% |
|---|---|
| Annual Dividend | $7.44 per share |
| Per Payment | $1.86 |
| Payout Frequency | Quarterly |
| Payments per Year | 4 |
| Next Ex-Dividend Date | September 2, 2026 |
| Next Payment Date | September 19, 2026 |
| Payout Ratio | 60% |
| Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 48 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary |
| Implied Share Price (from yield) | $274.54 |
What MCD pays on a $10,000 investment
At a 2.71% yield, $10,000 invested in MCD generates about $271.00 per year, or roughly $67.75 every quarter. Share counts below use an implied price of $274.54, derived from the $7.44 annual dividend and the 2.71% yield.
| Amount Invested | Approx. Shares | Annual Dividend Income | Income per Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 3.6 | $27.10 | $6.77 |
| $5,000 | 18.2 | $135.50 | $33.88 |
| $10,000 | 36.4 | $271.00 | $67.75 |
| $25,000 | 91.1 | $677.50 | $169.38 |
| $100,000 | 364.2 | $2,710.00 | $677.50 |
These figures assume the dividend and share price stay where they are today. They do not account for taxes, dividend cuts, price movement, or reinvestment. If you reinvest instead of taking the cash, the share count grows each quarter — see how the dividend snowball compounds.
MCD dividend payment schedule
MCD pays on a quarterly schedule — 4 payments a year. The next confirmed ex-dividend date is September 2, 2026, with payment on September 19, 2026. Later rows are projected forward at the same interval and will shift when McDonald's Corporation declares each dividend.
| Ex-Dividend Date | Payment Date | Amount per Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2, 2026 | September 19, 2026 | $1.86 | Confirmed |
| December 2, 2026 | December 19, 2026 | $1.86 | Projected |
| March 2, 2027 | March 19, 2027 | $1.86 | Projected |
| June 2, 2027 | June 19, 2027 | $1.86 | Projected |
To collect a MCD dividend you must own the shares before the ex-dividend date. Buy on the ex-date itself and the previous owner keeps that payment. Read how ex-dividend, record, and payment dates fit together.
How MCD's dividend compares
Across the 587 dividend stocks and ETFs DivTrkr tracks, the median yield is 3.81%. MCD's 2.71% is 1.10 percentage points below that median, ranking 357th of 587 by yield.
Within Consumer Discretionary, where we track 5 names, the median yield is 2.62% — putting MCD above its sector.
Its 48-year run of dividend increases ranks 26th out of the 362 names in our data with an active growth streak.
What the numbers mean
MCD pays out roughly 60% of its earnings as dividends. That is on the higher side — still common for utilities and consumer staples, but it leaves less cushion if earnings dip.
Like most US dividend payers, MCD distributes quarterly, so a full year of ownership produces four payments.
Whether these payments are taxed at the lower qualified rate or as ordinary income depends on how long you hold the shares and what kind of company pays them. See the qualified vs. ordinary dividend rules.
MCD dividend FAQ
When is the next MCD ex-dividend date?
The next MCD ex-dividend date is September 2, 2026, with the payment scheduled for September 19, 2026. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payment.
What is MCD's dividend yield?
MCD currently yields 2.71%, based on $7.44 in dividends per share over the past year.
How often does MCD pay dividends?
MCD pays quarterly, which works out to 4 payments per year of about $1.86 per share.
How much dividend income would $10,000 of MCD generate?
At the current 2.71% yield, $10,000 invested in MCD would produce roughly $271.00 per year, or about $67.75 per quarter, before taxes and assuming the dividend holds.
Has MCD increased its dividend?
Yes — MCD has raised its dividend for 48 consecutive years. That makes it a Dividend Aristocrat.
MCD dividend history
DivTrkr holds 177 recorded MCD dividend payments going back to 1976, with 17 consecutive complete years of increases and +7.2% a year of growth over the last five complete years. See the full MCD dividend history — every payment, annual totals and growth by year.
Related dividend stocks
Other Consumer Discretionary dividend payers
- NKE — Nike Inc dividend (3.93%)
- HD — Home Depot dividend (2.62%)
- SBUX — Starbucks Corp dividend (2.35%)
- LOW — Lowe's Companies dividend (2.24%)
Similar yields to MCD
- ADM — Archer-Daniels-Midland dividend (2.72%)
- NLR — VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF dividend (2.69%)
- XOM — Exxon Mobil Corporation dividend (2.69%)
- XLE — State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF dividend (2.68%)
- AEE — Ameren Corp dividend (2.76%)
- VPU — Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares dividend (2.76%)
Track MCD dividends free with DivTrkr — see exactly what your own position pays, and when. Also browse the full dividend calendar or the A–Z list of dividend stocks.