Mizuho Has Lowered Expectations for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Price

Posted by Caroline Horne on Jul 31st, 2026

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by analysts at Mizuho from $300.00 to $290.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. Mizuho’s price target points to a potential upside of 7.33% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on MCD. Cfra upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $331.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $331.92.

Get Our Latest Analysis on MCD

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock traded up $1.75 on Friday, hitting $270.19. 1,869,505 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,820,732. The stock has a market capitalization of $191.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s has a 52 week low of $260.96 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $275.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $297.88.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 EPS. Research analysts expect that McDonald’s will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,760.48. This trade represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 8,348 shares of company stock valued at $2,355,634 in the last three months. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,692,000 after acquiring an additional 1,649 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 11.4% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $589,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. United Bank lifted its position in McDonald’s by 6.0% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,367,000 after buying an additional 459 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 2.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,780,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. 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: Technical analyst Jay Woods said McDonald’s chart is beginning to point toward a potential buy signal, which could support investor interest. McDonald’s charts are starting to coil in the direction of a buy signal
Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s declared a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share, reinforcing the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors ahead of earnings. Will Dividend Strength and Softer Sales Expectations Change McDonald’s Long-Term Investment Narrative?
Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” recommendation, while McDonald’s global scale and resilient business model remain part of the bullish long-term case. McDonald’s Corporation Receives Consensus Recommendation of Moderate Buy
Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on whether value offerings, menu innovation and digital marketing can drive sales and profit growth in the second quarter. The earnings report is scheduled for August 4. McDonald’s Gears Up for Q2 Earnings: Key Factors to Watch
Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage is emphasizing estimates for same-store sales, restaurant traffic, margins and other operating metrics beyond revenue and earnings per share. Countdown to McDonald’s Q2 Earnings
Negative Sentiment: Some analysts expect weaker earnings and slower same-store-sales growth, citing pressure on lower-income consumers and a recent traffic slowdown. Erste Group Bank Forecasts Weaker Earnings for McDonald’s
Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns remain: one analysis suggests MCD may be roughly 9% above estimated fair value, limiting upside if the earnings outlook disappoints. McDonald’s Stock May Be 9% Rich After Traffic Slowdown

McDonald’s Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.