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

BTIG Research upgraded shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. BTIG Research currently has $360.00 price objective on the fast-food giant’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Mizuho raised McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Citigroup cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $330.81.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD opened at $318.35 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $310.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $306.64. The company has a market capitalization of $226.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald’s has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $326.32.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.23 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the 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 directly owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 45,142 shares of company stock worth $13,841,169. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,112,675,000 after acquiring an additional 703,458 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,024,857 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,643,704,000 after buying an additional 196,505 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.7% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,901,595,000 after buying an additional 276,065 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG upgraded McDonald’s from Neutral to Buy and set a $360 price target after conversations with franchisees — a headline catalyst that likely encouraged buying interest. BTIG upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is launching limited‑edition, free McNugget® Caviar kits (partnership with Paramount Caviar) for Valentine’s Day — a high‑visibility promotion likely to drive short‑term visits and social media buzz. McNugget Caviar PR
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and menu items — including the expected return of the Shamrock Shake and broader 2026 menu updates (new sauces, Happy Meal tweaks) — provide recurring traffic drivers and marketing lift. Shamrock Shake return
• Positive Sentiment: Brand sponsorship: McDonald’s released final rosters for the 49th McDonald’s All American Games — continued youth/sports sponsorship that supports brand relevance and community engagement. All American Games rosters
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recap pieces note MCD outpaced the market in the latest session — descriptive coverage that reflects market movement but adds limited new fundamental insight. Zacks market recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Human‑interest/brand stories (e.g., why McDonald’s Coke tastes different) are generating positive publicity but are unlikely to materially change fundamentals. Coke tastes better article
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional activity: UMB Bank trimmed its MCD stake (small reduction) — a minor selling signal but not large enough to suggest material repositioning by institutions. UMB Bank trims position
• Negative Sentiment: Service/quality chatter: social posts about McDonald’s cheese not melting have circulated — a reputational item to monitor if it gains traction, but currently a limited operational risk. Cheese melting discussion

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.