McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) Receives $336.26 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a hold recommendation and sixteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $336.2593.

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $260.00 to $306.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Evercore set a $350.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, May 8th.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted McDonald’s as a “rare mega-cap” with accelerating fundamentals, citing 3.8% global comparable sales growth, more than $9 billion in loyalty sales over 90 days, and 9.4% year-over-year revenue growth, which supports the bull case for the stock. McDonald’s Will Trade at This Price in 2028
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing AI-powered drive-thru ordering, and early results from a million orders appear promising; if rolled out successfully, this could improve efficiency and margins over time. McDonald’s Is Letting AI Take Your Orders Again. A Million Orders Later, the Results Look Promising.
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional activity tied to FIFA World Cup meals, collectible cups, and Squishmallows could help drive customer traffic and add some sales momentum. McDonald’s FIFA World Cup meals with Squishmallows and 9 collectible cups are here
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains generally supportive, with reports noting McDonald’s continues to attract attention as a defensive, widely followed stock. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by executive Joseph Erlinger may weigh on sentiment slightly, even though such sales do not necessarily reflect a change in business outlook. Joseph Erlinger Sells 5,252 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent coverage has also raised concerns about customer pushback on operational changes and workplace safety issues, which could create headline risk if they persist. Should McDonald’s AI Drive Thru Push and Safety Scrutiny Require Action From McDonald’s (MCD) Investors?

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 11,307 shares of company stock worth $3,262,622 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after purchasing an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,997,789,000 after acquiring an additional 959,140 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,195,965,000 after acquiring an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,895,768,000 after acquiring an additional 277,617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,890,438,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $284.88 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $289.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $306.76. The firm has a market cap of $202.41 billion, a PE ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s has a 12 month low of $271.85 and a 12 month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 61.34%.

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.