Truist Financial Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Truist Financial from $356.00 to $370.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. Truist Financial’s price objective points to a potential upside of 12.95% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 target price on McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $327.58 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $233.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a 50-day moving average of $313.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $308.26. McDonald’s has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $335.67.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released 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. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.83 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,755,699.50. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 95.7% in 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. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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.