does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock

Does Warren Buffett own McDonald's stock?

As you search “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock,” the quick answer is: Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway did own McDonald’s (ticker: MCD) historically — notably in the mid‑1990s — but Berkshire did not report a material McDonald’s position in its public 13F filings through January 2025. This article walks through the history, Buffett’s investment rationale, the sale and Buffett’s later reflection, how to verify holdings yourself, and a few public anecdotes tying Buffett to McDonald’s culture.

If you want a clear, sourceable answer to “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock” plus the steps to verify current holdings and why Buffett liked (and later regretted selling) McDonald’s, this guide covers the facts, timelines, and primary ways to confirm ownership status.

Short answer / summary

As of January 15, 2025, according to public portfolio trackers and SEC Form 13F data summarized by major financial outlets, Berkshire Hathaway does not hold a material stake in McDonald’s (MCD). Historically, Buffett and/or Berkshire acquired shares of McDonald’s in the mid‑1990s, reaching an approximate stake of about 4.3% at one point; Berkshire exited that position by the end of 1998. Buffett has publicly said selling McDonald’s was a mistake. For current verification, check Berkshire Hathaway’s latest SEC Form 13F and reputable portfolio trackers.

Sources referenced in this article include Business Insider (historical stake and Buffett’s comment), CNBC’s Berkshire portfolio tracker, Investopedia, GuruFocus, buffett.online, and Yahoo Finance reporting on Buffett’s anecdotes (all cited with reporting context through January 2025).

Background — Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, and how they invest

Warren Buffett is best known as a long‑term value investor. He runs Berkshire Hathaway, the primary vehicle through which most public equity positions associated with Buffett are held. When people ask “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock,” they are usually asking whether Berkshire — the entity that discloses holdings publicly via SEC filings — owns shares of McDonald’s.

Important points about how to interpret ownership claims:

• Berkshire Hathaway’s public U.S. equity holdings are reported quarterly in SEC Form 13F. These filings disclose long equity positions by institutional managers, but they arrive with a time lag and do not capture every type of exposure (for example, short positions, many derivatives, or non‑U.S. holdings are not fully reflected).
• Buffett’s personal purchases are less visible publicly than Berkshire’s holdings; however, because Buffett manages Berkshire and its investment philosophy is closely associated with him, most references to “Buffett owning” a stock mean Berkshire’s disclosed position.
• When answering “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock,” rely on the latest 13F filings, Berkshire shareholder communications, and reputable trackers that compile and interpret SEC filings.

Historical ownership of McDonald’s

Initial purchase and stake size (1990s)

In the mid‑1990s, Berkshire Hathaway accumulated McDonald’s shares. At its peak, reports indicate Berkshire owned an approximate 4.3% stake in McDonald’s common stock (MCD). Buffett admired McDonald’s as a business — its strong brand, predictable cash flows, franchise model, and durable competitive advantages aligned with his core investment criteria.

The mid‑1990s position is often cited in retrospectives because McDonald’s exemplified many of Buffett’s qualitative filters: a recognizable moat, consistent earnings from royalties and franchisees, and an inexpensive but powerful brand that generated steady cash.

Sale of the position and Buffett’s later comments

Berkshire exited the McDonald’s position by the end of 1998. In subsequent years, Buffett has publicly said that selling the stake was a mistake. In shareholder commentaries and interviews, he has reflected that he should have held on to the shares longer — a candid admission that even the most respected investors make errors in timing and allocation.

The timeline — mid‑1990s purchase, peak stake around ~4.3%, sale by late 1998 — is the generally reported sequence across multiple reputable sources summarizing Buffett’s historical holdings and later reflections.

Current status (as of latest filings)

As of January 15, 2025, major Berkshire Hathaway portfolio trackers and SEC Form 13F summaries indicate that Berkshire does not hold a material position in McDonald’s. Sources used to establish this status include:

• CNBC’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio tracker (reflecting aggregated 13F data through the most recent quarter), which did not list McDonald’s among Berkshire’s top holdings as of Jan 2025.
• Compiled 2025 holdings lists (such as buffett.online and Investopedia’s 2025 portfolio summaries) and GuruFocus trackers, which likewise omit McDonald’s from Berkshire’s prominent positions as of early 2025.
• Public reporting and financial press summaries (e.g., Yahoo Finance retrospectives) that note Buffett’s historical ownership but show no current Berkshire MCD holding in recent 13F data.

Note on timing and limits: 13F filings are filed quarterly and reflect holdings as of the end of each quarter. They are useful for confirming whether Berkshire reported a position in a given quarter, but they do not reveal intra‑quarter trades or positions that fall below reporting thresholds.

Why Buffett invested in McDonald’s (investment rationale)

Buffett’s decision to own McDonald’s in the 1990s fits a familiar pattern in his playbook. The main rationales include:

• Durable competitive advantage (brand moat): McDonald’s is one of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands, which creates pricing power and customer familiarity.
• Franchise model and recurring royalties: McDonald’s generates steady fee‑based income through franchise agreements and royalties, which can make earnings more predictable than pure retail operations.
• Strong cash flow and margin stability: Fast‑food chains with large scale can convert sales into reliable cash flow, an important trait for Buffett’s long‑term holdings.
• Simple, understandable business: Buffett prefers businesses he can explain — McDonald’s core business model is straightforward.

These attributes align with Buffett’s preference for predictable, high‑quality businesses that can compound earnings over long periods.

Why Berkshire sold the stake (and Buffett’s reflection)

Publicly available information does not provide a single definitive reason for the sale of McDonald’s shares by Berkshire in 1998. Possible factors often discussed in retrospectives include:

• Portfolio reallocation: Berkshire periodically rebalances and reallocates capital across new opportunities.
• Valuation: At times Buffett has sold holdings when he judged valuations no longer attractive relative to alternatives.
• Tactical decisions and human error: Buffett himself has acknowledged errors in judgment; the sale of McDonald’s is one he later called a “very big mistake” in public commentary.

Importantly, Buffett’s admission of regret is a valuable lesson in humility: even with rigorous investment criteria, timing and allocation choices can lead to forgone returns. That public reflection helps explain why the McDonald’s episode is frequently cited in discussions of Buffett’s investing career.

Distinction — Warren Buffett personally vs. Berkshire Hathaway

When answering “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock,” be precise about the subject:

• Berkshire Hathaway: The entity that files SEC Form 13F and publicly reports most large U.S. equity positions. The majority of references to Buffett owning a given stock refer to Berkshire’s holdings.
• Warren Buffett personally: Buffett’s private portfolio is far less transparent. While he is closely associated with Berkshire’s positions, personal trades that do not pass through Berkshire may not be publicly disclosed in the same way.

Therefore, most verifiable statements about Buffett’s holdings rely on Berkshire’s 13F disclosures and public shareholder communications.

How to verify current holdings

If you want to confirm the current answer to “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock” yourself, follow these practical steps:

1. Check Berkshire Hathaway’s latest SEC Form 13F filing: Form 13F is filed quarterly and lists U.S. equity holdings above reporting thresholds. Verify whether McDonald’s (MCD) appears and the reported share count and market value as of the filing date.
2. Consult Berkshire shareholder letters and annual reports: Buffett sometimes explains major portfolio moves in shareholder letters and annual reports, which can provide context for purchases or sales.
3. Use reliable portfolio trackers: Outlets that aggregate 13F data (e.g., CNBC’s portfolio tracker, GuruFocus, Investopedia summaries, buffett.online) make it easier to see Berkshire’s top holdings and changes over time.
4. Note the limitations: 13F data is delayed (quarterly), does not show short positions or many derivatives, and is reported as of quarter‑end only. For the most current status, you may need to wait for the next 13F filing or find Berkshire’s own commentary.

Reminder: When checking holdings, always note the filing date and understand that institutional portfolios change over time.

Notable public anecdotes and cultural references

Warren Buffett’s association with McDonald’s goes beyond portfolio tables. A few well‑known anecdotes illustrate the cultural connection between Buffett and the chain:

• Buffett’s breakfast habit: Buffett has long been known for a simple, consistent breakfast habit that included items from McDonald’s. He’s used the choice and size of his McDonald’s order in colorful remarks about the market or his mood.
• Public quips and interviews: Buffett has made light‑hearted public comments tying his McDonald’s visits to his daily routine or investing temperament, which has helped cement a cultural association even when the stock was not held.

These anecdotes are personal and cultural; they do not by themselves imply current ownership. They do help explain why many readers intuitively ask “does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock.”

See also

• Berkshire Hathaway portfolio and top holdings
• SEC Form 13F: what it is and how to read it
• McDonald’s Corporation (MCD): company overview and investor materials
• Warren Buffett shareholder letters and biographies

References and reporting context

• Business Insider — reporting on Buffett’s historical stake in McDonald’s and his later comment that selling was a mistake (coverage summarizing historical filings and Buffett’s remarks). Report context: mid‑1990s ownership and exit by end of 1998 were documented in historical summaries; Buffett’s regret is a quoted reflection included in later interviews and summaries.
• CNBC — Berkshire Hathaway portfolio tracker and 13F summaries (used to verify the absence of a material McDonald’s position in early 2025 filings). As of January 15, 2025, CNBC’s tracker did not list McDonald’s among Berkshire’s top positions.
• Investopedia — summary of Berkshire’s 2025 portfolio, used as a corroborating source for current holdings status as of early 2025.
• buffett.online — compiled Berkshire Hathaway holdings list (2025 edition), used to confirm that McDonald’s was not listed as a major holding in early 2025.
• GuruFocus — Berkshire holdings tracker, corroborating the absence of McDonald’s among major Berkshire positions as of January 2025.
• Yahoo Finance — anecdotes and historical summaries of Buffett’s personal McDonald’s habit and the cultural references linking Buffett to McDonald’s.

(All sources above were reviewed for reporting context through January 15, 2025. When you check these sources yourself, note the publication or data date and the quarter‑end date for any 13F referenced.)

Practical takeaways for readers

• Direct answer: does warren buffett own mcdonalds stock? Historically yes (mid‑1990s, ~4.3% at peak), but Berkshire did not report a material MCD holding in 13F summaries through January 2025.
• Verification: Always check the latest Berkshire 13F filing and reputable portfolio trackers to confirm the current position.
• Investor lesson: Buffett’s sale of McDonald’s — and his later admission of regret — is a reminder that even disciplined investors can make allocation or timing mistakes.

Further exploration and next steps

If you found this useful and want to check holdings, here are practical next steps:

• Review Berkshire Hathaway’s latest SEC filings (Form 13F) for quarter‑end holdings.
• Read Buffett’s shareholder letters for qualitative context when Berkshire has made large purchases or sales.
• Track Berkshire holdings on reputable financial data aggregators to spot changes quickly.

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