McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $370.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective hoisted by Truist Financial from $356.00 to $370.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the fast-food giant’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, October 17th. KeyCorp upped their target price on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday. 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, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $327.58 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $313.02 and a 200 day moving average of $308.30. McDonald’s has a 52 week low of $283.47 and a 52 week high of $335.67. The company has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a PE ratio of 27.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at $1,755,699.50. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in McDonald’s by 84.1% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $41,422,000 after acquiring an additional 64,757 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 236.7% in the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,571 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $43,606,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares during the period. Choreo LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $17,096,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,120,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about 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

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.