McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Upgraded by Argus to “Buy” Rating

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $380.00 price target on the fast-food giant’s stock. Argus’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 14.53% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on MCD. Truist Financial upped their price target on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group increased 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. BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $331.78 on Friday. McDonald’s has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $333.38. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $312.69 and a 200 day moving average of $308.07. The company has a market cap of $236.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.76, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 313.07% and a net margin of 31.85%.The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.83 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,133. The trade was a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% during the 4th 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 last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — McDonald’s posted stronger-than-expected Q4 revenue and EPS, with systemwide sales and comps up versus last year; the results are the primary near-term catalyst for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Value strategy driving traffic — Management says Extra Value Meals, discounted bundles and loyalty growth brought back budget‑conscious customers (strong U.S., Australia and U.K. performance), supporting revenue and margin leverage. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Multiple firms have raised targets and reiterated buy/overweight views after the print, which supports further upside sentiment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & loyalty tailwinds — Market commentary highlights sustainable cash flow, continued buybacks and a healthy dividend (and rising loyalty-member sales), which underpin the stock’s defensive/total‑return appeal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing buzz & limited-time items — Viral promotions (McNugget “caviar” kits, Shamrock Shake return) boost brand engagement and short-term traffic, though these are likely temporary lifts rather than structural earnings drivers. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu tests & innovation — Tests of higher‑protein menu items to address GLP‑1 trends show proactive product adaptation; positive for long-term relevance but early-stage for sales impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee friction — Reports that some franchisees resist centralized pricing/value execution create execution risk; inconsistent local pricing could limit margin or comp consistency. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — Recent Form 4 filings show senior-executive share sales; while often routine, the disclosures can weigh on near‑term sentiment as some investors take profits after the earnings pop. Read More.

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.