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Stock research / United States / MCD / Short interest

McDonald's Corp. short interest

13.5M shares of McDonald's were sold short at the 15 October 2026 settlement, near the top of its range over the last year (6.9M to 13.8M). Short sellers would need 2.2 days of normal trading to buy them back.

Shares sold short13.5Mat 15 Oct 2026
Change on the settlement before-2.3%+84% over a year
Days to cover2.23at 6.0M shares a day
Of shares in issue1.91%shares short over shares outstanding
New to this? How to read this page
  1. Short interest is the number of shares investors have borrowed and sold, betting the price will fall, and not yet bought back.
  2. Days to cover is shares short over an average day's trading: how many days it would take short sellers to buy them all back. Above 5 or so is high.
  3. Rising short interest says more investors are betting against the stock. A crowded short can also rise fast if shorts rush to buy back.
  4. Brokers report it twice a month to FINRA, about ten days after each settlement date.
  5. What is short interest?

Short interest, days to cover and the price

Short interest is near the top of its range over the last year (6.9M to 13.8M), and the share price moved -9% over the last year.

Shares sold shortDays to coverShare price

Three charts on one timeline. Top: shares sold short at each settlement. Middle: days to cover, taller meaning shorts would need longer to buy back. Bottom: the share price, so you can see whether shorts added as the price fell or rose.

How it compares

every company on the site

    The bar ranks every company on the site from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right, in three equal thirds; the small figures under it are the values where each third starts, and the black tick is the middle company. The orange dot is this company; the grey ticks are the other companies in its industry (hover or tap for names). A hatched block is companies tied at none.

    Every settlement since 29 Dec 2017 as a table
    SettlementShares shortChangeAverage daily volumeDays to cover
    15 October 202613.5M-2.3%6.0M2.23
    30 September 202613.8M+13.1%7.2M1.90
    15 September 202612.2M-0.7%4.4M2.79
    31 August 202612.3M+11.1%4.3M2.86
    14 August 202611.1M-9.8%4.8M2.32
    31 July 202612.3M+6.9%4.3M2.83
    15 July 202611.5M+4.5%4.7M2.46
    30 June 202611.0M+2.9%5.2M2.12
    15 June 202610.7M+12.8%4.5M2.38
    29 May 20269.5M-8.5%4.2M2.28
    15 May 202610.3M+4.2%4.5M2.28
    30 April 20269.9M+19.4%3.4M2.94
    15 April 20268.3M-9.2%2.9M2.89
    31 March 20269.2M-0.1%3.4M2.73
    13 March 20269.2M-0.6%3.1M2.99
    27 February 20269.2M+5.9%3.4M2.68
    13 February 20268.7M+8.4%4.0M2.19
    30 January 20268.0M+3.8%2.9M2.80
    15 January 20267.7M-7.1%3.4M2.27
    31 December 20258.3M+1.3%2.8M3.02
    15 December 20258.2M+19.4%3.9M2.12
    28 November 20256.9M-10.9%3.0M2.27
    14 November 20257.7M+6.4%3.6M2.16
    31 October 20257.3M-0.8%2.5M2.95
    15 October 20257.3M+0.6%3.0M2.45
    30 September 20257.3M-11.6%3.3M2.21
    15 September 20258.2M+9.0%2.9M2.84
    29 August 20257.6M-7.1%3.0M2.51
    15 August 20258.1M+2.8%3.8M2.12
    31 July 20257.9M-10.4%3.2M2.49
    15 July 20258.8M+4.5%3.9M2.26
    30 June 20258.5M+8.5%5.0M1.68
    13 June 20257.8M-14.9%3.1M2.50
    30 May 20259.2M-5.0%2.6M3.53
    15 May 20259.6M-7.7%3.2M3.03
    30 April 202510.4M-9.4%3.2M3.26
    15 April 202511.5M+0.4%5.5M2.11
    31 March 202511.5M+1.3%3.3M3.48
    14 March 202511.3M+2.6%4.2M2.70
    28 February 202511.0M+26.5%3.6M3.09
    14 February 20258.7M+10.3%3.6M2.43
    31 January 20257.9M-18.2%3.1M2.59
    15 January 20259.7M+2.4%3.0M3.25
    31 December 20249.4M+4.9%2.9M3.22
    13 December 20249.0M-9.7%3.0M2.98
    29 November 202410.0M+11.0%2.9M3.42
    15 November 20249.0M+2.4%3.2M2.85
    31 October 20248.8M-7.4%6.2M1.43
    15 October 20249.5M-3.5%2.2M4.24
    30 September 20249.8M+7.3%2.7M3.58
    13 September 20249.1M-8.8%2.7M3.34
    30 August 202410.0M+1.9%2.8M3.60
    15 August 20249.8M-5.0%4.0M2.44
    31 July 202410.4M+5.6%4.4M2.37
    15 July 20249.8M+12.0%3.8M2.56
    28 June 20248.8M-4.4%4.5M1.95
    14 June 20249.2M+13.5%3.3M2.74
    31 May 20248.1M+2.5%3.5M2.29
    15 May 20247.9M-2.6%3.4M2.31
    30 April 20248.1M-4.6%3.7M2.17
    15 April 20248.5M+5.1%3.6M2.37
    28 March 20248.1M-7.2%3.1M2.59
    15 March 20248.7M+14.7%3.3M2.65
    29 February 20247.6M+1.3%2.7M2.84
    15 February 20247.5M-6.1%3.9M1.94
    31 January 20248.0M+9.2%3.1M2.59
    12 January 20247.3M+5.5%3.0M2.45
    29 December 20236.9M-3.5%2.0M3.39
    15 December 20237.2M-7.3%3.7M1.93
    30 November 20237.7M+9.6%3.0M2.62
    15 November 20237.1M+4.9%2.9M2.47
    31 October 20236.7M-4.8%3.7M1.83
    13 October 20237.1M+7.2%3.5M2.04
    29 September 20236.6M-5.1%2.4M2.78
    15 September 20237.0M+11.0%2.7M2.59
    31 August 20236.3M+7.8%2.5M2.56
    15 August 20235.8M+4.3%2.1M2.83
    31 July 20235.6M-12.1%2.6M2.11
    14 July 20236.3M-2.7%2.0M3.22
    30 June 20236.5M+2.5%2.6M2.54
    15 June 20236.4M+17.7%2.5M2.56
    31 May 20235.4M-22.9%2.7M2.01
    15 May 20237.0M+6.3%2.0M3.45
    28 April 20236.6M+0.8%2.9M2.25
    14 April 20236.5M+16.1%2.4M2.74
    31 March 20235.6M-10.6%2.6M2.13
    15 March 20236.3M+8.4%2.7M2.30
    28 February 20235.8M+13.7%2.8M2.06
    15 February 20235.1M-3.4%2.9M1.78
    31 January 20235.3M-13.0%3.0M1.75
    13 January 20236.1M-5.1%2.3M2.60
    30 December 20226.4M-2.4%2.2M2.90
    15 December 20226.6M+8.8%2.8M2.32
    30 November 20226.0M-7.6%3.0M1.99
    15 November 20226.5M+7.3%3.5M1.86
    31 October 20226.1M-7.6%3.4M1.80
    14 October 20226.6M-2.5%3.2M2.07
    30 September 20226.8M+2.7%3.1M2.16
    15 September 20226.6M+16.4%2.6M2.58
    31 August 20225.7M+2.1%2.0M2.85
    15 August 20225.5M-8.9%2.2M2.50
    29 July 20226.1M-0.4%2.7M2.23
    15 July 20226.1M-1.9%2.2M2.83
    30 June 20226.2M-10.1%3.2M1.94
    15 June 20226.9M+7.7%2.6M2.64
    31 May 20226.4M+4.8%3.2M2.02
    13 May 20226.1M+4.9%3.0M2.03
    29 April 20225.8M-1.9%2.6M2.22
    14 April 20226.0M+10.8%2.6M2.30
    31 March 20225.4M-10.9%3.1M1.73
    15 March 20226.0M+12.4%5.0M1.21
    28 February 20225.4M+2.4%3.7M1.44
    15 February 20225.2M-14.6%2.6M2.04
    31 January 20226.1M+11.7%3.7M1.66
    14 January 20225.5M-13.1%2.8M1.96
    31 December 20216.3M-4.4%2.2M2.82
    15 December 20216.6M+10.5%3.1M2.12
    30 November 20216.0M+3.4%2.4M2.44
    15 November 20215.8M+1.5%2.4M2.36
    29 October 20215.7M-1.9%3.3M1.73
    15 October 20215.8M-14.4%2.3M2.54
    30 September 20216.8M-1.6%3.1M2.20
    15 September 20216.9M+8.4%2.2M3.12
    31 August 20216.4M+2.2%2.0M3.19
    13 August 20216.2M-0.9%2.1M2.92
    30 July 20216.3M+17.1%3.0M2.09
    15 July 20215.4M-2.3%2.1M2.60
    30 June 20215.5M-20.9%2.5M2.23
    15 June 20216.9M+21.2%2.3M2.98
    28 May 20215.7M-4.9%2.3M2.45
    14 May 20216.0M-5.2%2.1M2.88
    30 April 20216.3M-12.8%2.2M2.91
    15 April 20217.3M+18.2%2.4M3.08
    31 March 20216.1M+2.6%3.5M1.76
    15 March 20216.0M+18.2%3.1M1.96
    26 February 20215.1M-1.2%2.6M1.92
    12 February 20215.1M-10.5%2.5M2.01
    29 January 20215.7M+12.2%3.2M1.80
    15 January 20215.1M-7.4%2.7M1.91
    31 December 20205.5M-9.3%2.6M2.09
    15 December 20206.1M+17.4%3.4M1.79
    30 November 20205.2M+9.8%2.6M1.98
    13 November 20204.7M-9.3%3.7M1.27
    30 October 20205.2M+7.1%2.0M2.61
    15 October 20204.9M+7.3%2.4M2.02
    30 September 20204.5M-17.6%2.4M1.87
    15 September 20205.5M-20.3%3.1M1.78
    31 August 20206.9M+13.7%2.5M2.77
    14 August 20206.1M+0.4%2.4M2.47
    31 July 20206.0M+3.3%2.9M2.08
    15 July 20205.8M-2.7%2.6M2.28
    30 June 20206.0M-6.1%3.6M1.68
    15 June 20206.4M-15.3%3.5M1.81
    29 May 20207.5M+3.8%3.3M2.27
    15 May 20207.3M-8.9%3.4M2.11
    30 April 20208.0M-8.0%4.2M1.90
    15 April 20208.7M+13.8%4.8M1.79
    31 March 20207.6M-16.5%9.4M1.00
    13 March 20209.1M+3.5%5.4M1.68
    28 February 20208.8M+15.9%4.7M1.90
    14 February 20207.6M-2.6%2.6M2.94
    31 January 20207.8M-10.9%3.3M2.38
    15 January 20208.8M+16.5%3.4M2.58
    31 December 20197.5M+6.5%2.8M2.68
    13 December 20197.1M+4.9%2.6M2.70
    29 November 20196.7M+3.1%3.4M2.01
    15 November 20196.5M+1.6%5.7M1.15
    31 October 20196.4M-2.3%5.4M1.19
    15 October 20196.6M-4.1%3.2M2.03
    30 September 20196.9M+17.9%3.2M2.15
    13 September 20195.8M+2.5%3.3M1.76
    30 August 20195.7M-8.3%2.5M2.23
    15 August 20196.2M+3.9%3.3M1.90
    31 July 20196.0M-12.7%3.1M1.92
    15 July 20196.8M+0.2%2.2M3.17
    28 June 20196.8M+7.9%2.8M2.44
    14 June 20196.3M-6.5%3.6M1.76
    31 May 20196.8M-1.5%2.7M2.51
    15 May 20196.9M+11.2%2.6M2.60
    30 April 20196.2M+4.9%2.7M2.26
    15 April 20195.9M-5.0%2.4M2.47
    29 March 20196.2M-1.0%2.9M2.11
    15 March 20196.3M+6.7%3.1M2.00
    28 February 20195.9M+21.0%3.4M1.75
    15 February 20194.8M-14.1%4.5M1.06
    31 January 20195.6M-11.3%4.6M1.21
    15 January 20196.4M+2.3%2.9M2.19
    31 December 20186.2M+1.8%4.3M1.45
    14 December 20186.1M-16.1%3.7M1.66
    30 November 20187.3M-6.1%3.7M1.97
    15 November 20187.7M+4.8%3.7M2.10
    31 October 20187.4M-0.7%5.4M1.36
    15 October 20187.4M+1.3%3.6M2.04
    28 September 20187.3M+2.9%4.2M1.73
    14 September 20187.1M+9.6%3.1M2.27
    31 August 20186.5M-6.9%2.7M2.45
    15 August 20187.0M+5.8%3.4M2.08
    31 July 20186.6M-4.2%3.8M1.76
    13 July 20186.9M+8.7%2.8M2.43
    29 June 20186.3M-6.5%5.0M1.28
    15 June 20186.8M+1.4%4.1M1.64
    31 May 20186.7M-11.5%3.1M2.18
    15 May 20187.6M-10.0%3.4M2.22
    30 April 20188.4M+11.1%4.2M2.00
    13 April 20187.6M+5.9%4.3M1.75
    29 March 20187.1M-14.9%4.9M1.46
    15 March 20188.4M+23.5%5.6M1.51
    28 February 20186.8M-5.6%5.6M1.22
    15 February 20187.2M+9.2%5.7M1.26
    31 January 20186.6M+5.6%4.4M1.51
    12 January 20186.2M+3.7%3.0M2.09
    29 December 20176.0M2.3M2.61
    Shares in millions (M) or thousands (K); hold the pointer on a figure for the exact count. FINRA publishes consolidated short interest twice a month, about ten days after each settlement.