McDonald's Corp vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? McDonald's Corp trades at $264.75 (market cap $190.16B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $145.79 (market cap $40.62B). The key difference: McDonald's Corp is far larger — about 4.7× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and McDonald's Corp pays the higher dividend (2.78%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MCD | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $190.16B | $40.62B |
Volume | 2,230,036 | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $341.06 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $264.54 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $243.87B | $51.88B |
Dividend Yield | 2.78% | 2.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
McDonald's (MCD) trades at $267.71, down 2.1% on the day, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages. The company reported steady revenue growth to $26.89 billion in 2025 and a net income margin of 31.62%, though Q2 2026 earnings are pending. Recent news highlights a new 'McDonald's NEXT' strategy focusing on automation and menu improvements to boost competitiveness.
The stock presents a buying opportunity with a consensus price target of $329, implying 23% upside, supported by strong analyst sentiment (58% buy ratings). Risks include inflationary pressures on franchisee margins and high long-term debt of $38.42 billion. Earnings execution and strategy rollout will be key for near-term performance.
YUM trades at $147.44, down 0.32% amid bearish technical signals and negative news flow from a Taco Bell lettuce contamination outbreak. Fundamentally, the company shows revenue growth to $8.21B in 2025 with strong net income margins of 20.48%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 23.86 appear elevated. Recent earnings have been mixed with Q1 2026 beating expectations but Q4 2025 missing estimates.
The stock faces near-term headwinds from the food safety crisis but maintains analyst support with a $177 consensus target representing 20% upside. Long-term growth prospects remain intact with digital expansion and brand strength, though high debt levels and competitive pressures present ongoing risks for investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
McDonald's Corporation franchises and operates fast-food restaurants in the global restaurant industry. The Company's restaurants serves a variety of value-priced menu products in countries around the world.
Read more on MCD →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →