Equity
Retained Earnings
McDonald's Retained Earnings increased by 0.9% to $70.94B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 5.2%, from $67.44B to $70.94B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows an upward trend with a 5.4% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026May 7, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase indicates consistent profitability and reinvestment, while a decrease may signal net losses or significant dividend payouts.
Detailed definition
This represents the cumulative net income of the company that has been reinvested into the business rather than distribu...
Peer comparison
Standard across all public companies; reflects historical earnings power.
Metric ID:
retained_earningsHistorical Data
19 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $55.74B | $55.9B | $57.53B | $57.61B | $57.79B | $58.75B | $59.54B | $60.24B | $61.44B | $63.48B | $64.2B | $65.03B | $64.82B | $66.83B | $67.44B | $68.42B | $69.44B | $70.28B | $70.94B |
| QoQ Change | — | +0.3% | +2.9% | +0.1% | +0.3% | +1.7% | +1.3% | +1.2% | +2.0% | +3.3% | +1.1% | +1.3% | -0.3% | +3.1% | +0.9% | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.2% | +0.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +3.7% | +5.1% | +3.5% | +4.5% | +6.3% | +6.6% | +6.6% | +5.8% | — | +5.3% | +5.0% | +5.2% | +7.1% | +5.2% | +5.2% |
Range$55.74B – $70.94B
CAGR+5.5%
Avg YoY Growth+5.4%
Median YoY Growth+5.2%
Current Streak6 quarters growth
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is McDonald's's retained earnings?
- McDonald's (MCD) reported retained earnings of $70.94B in Q1 2026.
- How has McDonald's's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- McDonald's's retained earnings increased by 5.2% year-over-year, from $67.44B to $70.94B.
- What is the long-term trend for McDonald's's retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), McDonald's's retained earnings has grown at a 5.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $53.91B to $70.28B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total profits a company has kept and reinvested since it began operations.