McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-nine analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $334.9630.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank downgraded McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Friday, May 8th.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $276.32 on Friday. McDonald’s has a twelve month low of $264.53 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $278.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $302.04. The stock has a market cap of $196.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.78, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.93 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,681 shares of company stock valued at $2,456,440. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, DecisionPoint Financial LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% in the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is leaning on event-driven marketing, including a 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign and a new BT21 Happy Meal launch, to boost engagement, traffic, and family visits. These kinds of promotions can support near-term same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also offering limited-time freebies and value deals, such as free fries for National French Fry Day, which may help bring customers in and reinforce McDonald’s value positioning. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and entertainment stories, including the retro vinyl ad campaign and Happy Meal toy coverage, add brand buzz but are unlikely to materially change earnings expectations on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and market commentary remains mixed, with some articles highlighting McDonald’s as a beaten-down consumer name and others noting its stock weakness versus the broader market, suggesting sentiment is cautious rather than decisively negative. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank said McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales likely hit a new low in the second quarter, reinforcing concerns that core domestic demand may be weakening and pressuring the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader commentary also points to a challenging fast-food environment and rising macro risks, including higher oil prices, which could squeeze margins and weigh on investor confidence. Article Title

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.