McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $320.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective boosted by equities researchers at Argus from $310.00 to $320.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. Argus‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 15.66% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on MCD. Piper Sandler set a $286.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. BTIG Research raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.82.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:MCD traded down $1.36 on Friday, reaching $276.68. The company had a trading volume of 2,433,314 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,348,413. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.79 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.42. McDonald’s has a 52-week low of $229.20 and a 52-week high of $341.75. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $248.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $282.70.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.19. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 671.56% and a net margin of 32.38%. The firm had revenue of $7.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.22 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Point Windward Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 5.3% during the third quarter. Point Windward Advisors Inc. now owns 7,234 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,671,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 100.2% during the third quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 6,559 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,515,000 after acquiring an additional 3,282 shares during the last quarter. Van Strum & Towne Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 20.0% during the third quarter. Van Strum & Towne Inc. now owns 2,879 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $665,000 after acquiring an additional 479 shares during the last quarter. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter worth about $339,000. Finally, Banyan Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter worth about $476,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $3.57, above the $3.38 consensus, with international growth and stronger franchised margins supporting profit. The earnings beat helped drive a recent share rally. Q3 earnings beat, but U.S. traffic still pressures growth
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets and maintained positive ratings, including Citi ($315, Buy), KeyCorp ($307, Overweight) and Wells Fargo ($300, Overweight), signaling further potential upside in their view.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is testing value bundles at nearly 2,000 U.S. restaurants, with a broader rollout planned for early 2027. The initiative could help attract budget-conscious diners, but its effect on traffic and sales remains to be seen. McDonald’s plans new value bundles after U.S. traffic falls
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales fell 0.2% in Q3 and revenue of $7.16 billion missed expectations, keeping questions about domestic demand in focus. Freedom Broker downgraded MCD from Buy to Hold and cut its target to $298 from $305, though that target remains above the referenced share price. Freedom Broker rating update

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.