BTIG Research Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD)

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by equities research analysts at BTIG Research in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $295.00 price target on the fast-food giant’s stock. BTIG Research‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 17.56% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on MCD. Freedom Capital upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Gordon Haskett decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $339.00 to $343.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Melius Research cut their price target on McDonald’s from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $295.64.

McDonald’s Stock Up 1.0%

McDonald’s stock traded up $2.47 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $250.93. The company had a trading volume of 2,628,821 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,275,388. The company has a 50 day moving average of $249.43 and a 200-day moving average of $269.68. The firm has a market cap of $177.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.34, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.44. McDonald’s has a 52 week low of $229.20 and a 52 week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.19 EPS. On average, analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Burkett Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 2,312.5% in the 3rd quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC now owns 193 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its position in McDonald’s by 46.2% during the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 174 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 140.0% in the second quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 180 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the first quarter worth $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $295 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels. The call provides near-term support for the stock despite its decline from the 52-week high. BTIG Research rating
• Positive Sentiment: The McRib has returned at select U.S. restaurants for a limited time. The heavily publicized comeback could stimulate traffic, customer engagement and incremental sales, although the geographic rollout is limited. McRib returns at select locations
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is ending its FIFA World Cup sponsorship after more than three decades. Management reportedly plans to shift marketing spending toward company-owned intellectual property. The move could reduce a major expense and improve marketing control, but it also removes a high-profile global branding platform. McDonald’s ending FIFA sponsorship
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates for McDonald’s. Estimate reductions can weigh on valuation and signal that analysts see increased pressure on margins, traffic or growth. McDonald’s FY2027 EPS estimate cut
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage has highlighted management’s expectation that restaurant traffic may remain flat, while comparable-sales growth has been limited. That outlook could constrain earnings growth even as McDonald’s continues using promotions and menu innovation to attract customers. McDonald’s traffic and NEXT investment

McDonald’s Company Profile

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.