McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Upgraded at Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

MCD has been the topic of a number of other reports. Truist Financial boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Mizuho lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. KeyCorp upped their price target on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.6%

McDonald’s stock opened at $329.17 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $314.66 and a 200-day moving average of $309.14. McDonald’s has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $335.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $234.42 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52.

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, beating the consensus estimate 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 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company 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. 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 (DPR) is 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. This 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 Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was 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 $1,407,133. This trade represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 71,550 shares of company stock worth $23,484,957 in the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,112,675,000 after buying an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,997,789,000 after buying an additional 959,140 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,195,965,000 after acquiring an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,780,712,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% in the 4th 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 purchasing an additional 277,617 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company is raising 2026 capital expenditures to as much as $3.9 billion to accelerate restaurant openings and hit a 50,000-location target by 2027 — management argues the ROI on these openings supports long‑term growth and same-store sales leverage. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher: What’s Supporting the ROI Case?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: Erste Group Bank raised MCD to a Buy, a vote of confidence that can support further buying interest from institutional investors. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Raised to Buy at Erste Group Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Menu/product innovation: McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu options aimed at customers using GLP‑1 drugs — a potential traffic and AUV (average unit volume) driver if it attracts a new, health‑focused customer segment. McDonald’s is considering expanding protein menu for GLP-1 users
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/pop buzz: Collaborations and limited releases (e.g., the Drake OVO meal internationally) keep McDonald’s culturally relevant and can lift short‑term traffic and merchandising revenue. McDonald’s x Drake’s OVO Meal Is Finally Here — But Not in the US
• Positive Sentiment: Menu nostalgia and limited-time items returning (beloved menu items/seasonal promotions) support traffic and repeat visits—helpful for near‑term comps. McDonald’s Brings Back Beloved Menu Item
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention pieces (Zacks/Yahoo) note increased retail/institutional interest and recap recent fundamentals — useful context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/menu curiosities (e.g., a rare Canadian breakfast item, regional shake returns) generate PR and incremental sales but limited broader financial impact. McDonald’s New Canadian Breakfast Item Is Out, but It’s a Rare Find
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature/legacy stories (human‑interest or history pieces) create brand conversation but are unlikely to move the stock materially. How One Man Humiliated McDonald’s and Built a $20 Billion Empire
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares recently — a datapoint investors watch for signaling, even though single insider sales often have benign explanations. Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,277 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

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.