BTIG Research Boosts McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target to $370.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at BTIG Research from $360.00 to $370.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. BTIG Research’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 12.95% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 17th. Citigroup increased their target price on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $372.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of MCD opened at $327.58 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $313.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $308.26.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $41,422,000 after purchasing an additional 64,757 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its position in McDonald’s by 236.7% in the 3rd quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,976,000 after buying an additional 4,571 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% during the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $43,606,000 after buying an additional 3,774 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $17,096,000 after buying an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,120,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and momentum — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue ~ $7.0B, EPS beat, systemwide comps up ~5.7% with U.S. comps ~6.8%) and cited loyalty growth that helped drive sales and margins; this is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Several firms raised ratings/targets (Argus upgraded to Buy with a $380 target; Truist/BTIG raised targets toward ~$370), which can support further upside as sentiment shifts. Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback/dividend tailwind — Coverage notes that strong cash flow from Q4 and a healthy dividend yield support continued buybacks and payouts, a structural catalyst for EPS per-share gains over time. Buybacks & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions/brand buzz — Seasonal items and PR stunts (Shamrock Shake, McNugget kits) are driving traffic and media attention; helpful for short-term comps but likely temporary. Promotions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A disclosed sale by a senior U.S. executive (Form 4) may have added to near-term selling pressure as some investors lock in gains after the earnings pop. Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution risk — Reports of tension between corporate pricing/value pushes and some franchisees could complicate uniform execution and margins across markets, a potential headwind if disputes persist. Franchisee Tensions

About McDonald’s

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.