McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Upgraded by Erste Group Bank to Buy Rating

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by Erste Group Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on MCD. Barclays lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Price Performance

NYSE MCD traded down $0.46 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $327.16. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 248,974 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,316,806. McDonald’s has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $313.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $308.70. The company has a market cap of $232.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 88,684 shares of company stock valued at $28,796,497 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 outperformance and 2026 menu play: McDonald’s reported a Q4 beat (EPS and revenue) and management links its 2026 menu and promotions to a sales rebound and traffic recovery — a clear near-term revenue catalyst. MCD and TXRH: 2 Low-Risk Restaurant Stocks With Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal/limited-time offers returning: The Shamrock Shake and other seasonal items are back nationwide — LTOs that historically lift traffic and incremental spend. Shamrock Shake returns
• Positive Sentiment: New-product and engagement initiatives: McDonald’s is rolling out new items (Big Arch burger), branded collectibles/trading cards, and a Drake OVO collaboration — low-cost marketing that can drive visits, social buzz and younger-customer frequency. Drake OVO collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst moves and shareholder returns: Several brokerages raised targets or upgraded MCD recently (UBS, KeyCorp, Argus) and the company declared a quarterly dividend, supporting the income/defensive case for investors. Analyst commentary & dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation addressing diet trends: McDonald’s is testing higher‑protein menu options to respond to changing consumer preferences (e.g., GLP‑1 impacts), which could protect traffic if eating habits shift. High-protein menu test
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/history and lifestyle coverage: Several nostalgia or lifestyle pieces (drive-thru origins, celebrity orders, and Happy Meal toy revivals) improve brand visibility but have limited direct impact on near-term fundamentals. Changeables Happy Meal toys
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: CEO Chris Kempczinski and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley disclosed multi‑million‑dollar stock sales in mid‑February (CEO filings show ~52k shares sold across two trades; CMO sold ~4.7k shares). Large sales by top executives can hurt sentiment even if pre‑planned or for diversification. CEO SEC filing CMO insider sale

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.