Analysts Set Expectations for McDonald’s FY2027 Earnings

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) – Erste Group Bank issued their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of McDonald’s in a research report issued on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau expects that the fast-food giant will post earnings per share of $14.35 for the year. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for McDonald’s’ current full-year earnings is $12.25 per share.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 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 business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.83 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on MCD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Guggenheim dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group increased their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.57.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $333.23 on Monday. McDonald’s has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $336.00. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $315.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $309.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $237.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.89, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.52.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 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 in the last quarter. United Bank boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,367,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in McDonald’s by 2.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,780,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $854,106.50. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 71,550 shares of company stock worth $23,484,957 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling its Big Arch Burger into U.S. menus for a limited time — a larger, promotional sandwich that has driven traffic in other markets and fits the “bigger-burger” trend; this could boost short‑term ticket and visit frequency. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and promotional menu items continue: the Shamrock Shake campaign is back, driving brand engagement and incremental visits around St. Patrick’s Day. These limited-time items support traffic and social buzz. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s India (West & South) owner Westlife Foodworld is running a Protein Week with low-price, app-focused protein options and free delivery promo — a targeted, value-led push that can grow AUVs and digital ordering in a fast-growing market. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: JPMorgan raised its MCD price target to $325 and kept an Overweight rating, and Erste Group upgraded MCD to Buy, signaling confidence in sales momentum and McDonald’s financial profile for 2026. Note JPMorgan’s new PT still sits modestly below the current quote, so upside expectations are mixed. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term perspective pieces highlight MCD’s solid multi‑year returns and low‑volatility dividend profile; useful context for investors weighing valuation vs. growth, but not immediate catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational tweak: McDonald’s updated cash handling/check-out rules as pennies phase out — a minor customer-experience and cost/handling change with limited stock impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/market weakness (broader market sell-off and Dow declines) is pressuring equities including MCD today — an external headwind that can overwhelm company-specific positives in the near term. Read More.

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.