Update: McDonald's Shares Fall After $8.5 Billion Franchisee Support Plan

12:42 PM EDT, 09/23/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with the latest stock price movement in the headline and the first paragraph.) McDonald's (MCD) shares were down 6.1% in Wednesday trading after the company said it plans to provide $8.5 billion in support to franchisees through 2036 to accelerate restaurant modernization, technology deployment and operational improvements. Unveiling its NEXT strategy, the fast-food giant said it will provide about about $5 billion of that amount through 2030, through a combination of rent relief and capital support. McDonald's said it expects unit expansion to contribute nearly 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027, moderating to about 2% by 2030. The company is also targeting a low-to-mid-50% operating margin and mid-to-high-80% free cash flow conversion by 2030, along with about 250 basis points of restaurant-level efficiency gains. Price: 234.94, Change: -15.41, Percent Change: -6.16