McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Lowered to $320.00 at Guggenheim

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price target decreased by Guggenheim from $325.00 to $320.00 in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat reports. Guggenheim currently has a neutral rating on the fast-food giant’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays increased their target price on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Fifteen 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $327.58 on Friday. McDonald’s has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $335.67. The company has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $313.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.26.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.83 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464 in the last quarter. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 142.9% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and momentum — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue ~ $7.0B, EPS beat, systemwide comps up ~5.7% with U.S. comps ~6.8%) and cited loyalty growth that helped drive sales and margins; this is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Several firms raised ratings/targets (Argus upgraded to Buy with a $380 target; Truist/BTIG raised targets toward ~$370), which can support further upside as sentiment shifts. Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback/dividend tailwind — Coverage notes that strong cash flow from Q4 and a healthy dividend yield support continued buybacks and payouts, a structural catalyst for EPS per-share gains over time. Buybacks & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions/brand buzz — Seasonal items and PR stunts (Shamrock Shake, McNugget kits) are driving traffic and media attention; helpful for short-term comps but likely temporary. Promotions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A disclosed sale by a senior U.S. executive (Form 4) may have added to near-term selling pressure as some investors lock in gains after the earnings pop. Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution risk — Reports of tension between corporate pricing/value pushes and some franchisees could complicate uniform execution and margins across markets, a potential headwind if disputes persist. Franchisee Tensions

McDonald’s Company Profile

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.