McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Upgraded by Erste Group Bank to “Buy” Rating

Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $327.90 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $308.84. McDonald’s has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $335.67. The company has a market capitalization of $233.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The company’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 88,684 shares of company stock worth $28,796,497. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MCD. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth $1,412,069,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $913,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares in 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: Analyst upgrade: Erste Group raised MCD from “hold” to “buy”, which supports positive analyst sentiment and may lift demand for the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Menu and sales momentum: Management rolled out the 2026 menu tied to a sales rebound and stronger comps; investors view the menu plan as a near‑term catalyst for traffic and revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile marketing push: New collaborations and limited-edition items with Drake/OVO (including a specialty Sprite and promoted combo meals) boost brand relevance and can drive short-term visits and social buzz. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation for shifting diets: McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu options aimed at consumers on GLP‑1 drugs — a proactive move to defend traffic as dietary preferences shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Seasonal and nostalgia items returning (Shamrock Shake, Changeables Happy Meal toys) — these typically boost short-term foot traffic but are not structural catalysts. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer interest pieces (e.g., Filet‑O‑Fish customization trick) drive PR and footfall curiosity but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley disclosed multi‑million dollar sales in mid‑February (large reductions in holdings), which can be interpreted as a near‑term negative signal for sentiment. 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.