BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Price

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective increased by equities research analysts at BTIG Research from $360.00 to $370.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. BTIG Research’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 14.43% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Truist Financial raised their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $372.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $332.77.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $323.33 on Thursday. McDonald’s has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $328.06. The stock has a market cap of $230.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $312.21 and a 200 day moving average of $307.90.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 34,634 shares of company stock valued at $10,749,559. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,692,000 after buying an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 11.4% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its stake in McDonald’s by 12.1% during the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 19,364 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,657,000 after acquiring an additional 2,088 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its position in McDonald’s by 9.9% in the second quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 14,869 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,344,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key McDonald’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue up ~9.7% YoY; EPS beat consensus), driven by rising comparable sales and traffic tied to value offers. This is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Value strategy and loyalty gains — Management says Extra Value Meals and promotions pulled back budget-conscious customers; systemwide loyalty sales rose ~20% and 90‑day active users climbed to ~210M, underpinning sustainable traffic and digital sales growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backdrop supportive — Multiple firms have buy/overweight ratings and recent price targets generally sit above the current share level, giving analysts a lift to investor confidence after the results. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Menu innovation to address trends — McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu items to appeal to consumers using GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, a potential revenue hedge if eating habits shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing buzz — Limited-time stunts (e.g., McNugget “caviar” kits) sold out quickly and drove media attention and short‑term traffic, but are unlikely to be a sustained earnings driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth roadmap commentary — Coverage (podcasts/analysis) highlights management’s push toward a larger store base (discussion of a 50k footprint) — strategic upside but long‑dated. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee friction — Some franchisees resist centralized pricing/value moves, which could complicate uniform execution and limit margin upside if disputes persist. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A senior U.S. executive disclosed the sale of ~2,626 shares (~$854K), which may be interpreted as profit-taking and can damp investor sentiment after the earnings pop. Read More.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.