What if you'd held MCD?
A $1,000 investment in McDonald's Corporation (MCD) at the month-end close of 1966-07 would be worth $2.67M at the close of 2026-08 — +266816.2% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $92,201.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1966
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | $1,000 | — |
| 1967 | $3,053 | +205.3% |
| 1968 | $2,290 | -25.0% |
| 1969 | $1,513 | -33.9% |
| 1970 | $1,646 | +8.8% |
| 1971 | $4,033 | +145.1% |
| 1972 | $8,120 | +101.3% |
| 1973 | $6,070 | -25.2% |
| 1974 | $3,128 | -48.5% |
| 1975 | $6,216 | +98.7% |
| 1976 | $5,691 | -8.4% |
| 1977 | $5,513 | -3.1% |
| 1978 | $4,982 | -9.6% |
| 1979 | $4,727 | -5.1% |
| 1980 | $5,401 | +14.3% |
| 1981 | $7,355 | +36.2% |
| 1982 | $10,356 | +40.8% |
| 1983 | $12,280 | +18.6% |
| 1984 | $13,707 | +11.6% |
| 1985 | $21,774 | +58.8% |
| 1986 | $24,824 | +14.0% |
| 1987 | $27,206 | +9.6% |
| 1988 | $30,128 | +10.7% |
| 1989 | $43,644 | +44.9% |
| 1990 | $37,251 | -14.6% |
| 1991 | $49,131 | +31.9% |
| 1992 | $63,593 | +29.4% |
| 1993 | $74,953 | +17.9% |
| 1994 | $77,546 | +3.5% |
| 1995 | $120,485 | +55.4% |
| 1996 | $121,889 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | $129,113 | +5.9% |
| 1998 | $208,863 | +61.8% |
| 1999 | $220,251 | +5.5% |
| 2000 | $186,978 | -15.1% |
| 2001 | $146,802 | -21.5% |
| 2002 | $90,423 | -38.4% |
| 2003 | $141,800 | +56.8% |
| 2004 | $186,489 | +31.5% |
| 2005 | $200,168 | +7.3% |
| 2006 | $269,574 | +34.7% |
| 2007 | $367,656 | +36.4% |
| 2008 | $399,223 | +8.6% |
| 2009 | $415,039 | +4.0% |
| 2010 | $526,863 | +26.9% |
| 2011 | $709,476 | +34.7% |
| 2012 | $643,781 | -9.3% |
| 2013 | $731,302 | +13.6% |
| 2014 | $730,560 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | $952,864 | +30.4% |
| 2016 | $1.01M | +6.2% |
| 2017 | $1.47M | +45.1% |
| 2018 | $1.55M | +5.8% |
| 2019 | $1.77M | +14.0% |
| 2020 | $1.97M | +11.3% |
| 2021 | $2.52M | +27.8% |
| 2022 | $2.53M | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $2.91M | +15.1% |
| 2024 | $2.91M | +0.1% |
| 2025 | $3.14M | +7.9% |
| 2026 | $2.79M | -11.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MCD was 1966-10 ($0.07): $1,000 then is $3.93M today. The worst was 2026-02 ($337): $1,000 then is $794.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MCD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in McDonald's Corporation (MCD) at the start of 1966 would be worth about $2.67M today, a total return of +266816.2%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MCD?
McDonald's Corporation (MCD)'s strongest calendar year since 1966 was 1967, a +205.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,053 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -48.5%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in MCD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1966-07 would have grown to about $19.56M on $72,200 invested.
Did MCD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $92,201. MCD beat the S&P 500 by +2794.9% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) historical total-return data from 1966-07 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.