McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $305.00 to $325.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target indicates a potential downside of 2.31% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on MCD. Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $340.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Mizuho upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.57.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of MCD stock traded down $1.86 on Tuesday, reaching $332.70. The company had a trading volume of 1,204,794 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,400,224. The stock has a market capitalization of $236.93 billion, a PE ratio of 27.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.52. The business’s 50-day moving average is $314.97 and its 200 day moving average is $309.41. McDonald’s has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $336.00.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS 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 period in the prior year, the business posted $2.83 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 71,550 shares of company stock valued at $23,484,957 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. 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 valued at $22,112,675,000 after acquiring an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,997,789,000 after acquiring an additional 959,140 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,195,965,000 after acquiring an additional 76,090 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in McDonald’s by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,895,768,000 after purchasing an additional 277,617 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded MCD to Buy and raised expectations for stronger sales growth in 2026 (and later FY2027 earnings forecasts), supporting upside to shares from improved analyst sentiment and dividend/low‑volatility appeal. Erste Group Sees McDonald’s (MCD) Benefiting from Strong Financial Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Menu innovation: McDonald’s is rolling its largest burger (Big Arch/Big Arch burger) into U.S. menus in early March — a premium, limited‑time product that can lift average check and drive traffic if execution and marketing resonate. Multiple outlets are covering the rollout and social buzz. McDonald’s Big Arch burger is headed to US menus in early March — here’s what to know
• Positive Sentiment: Industry/brand recognition pieces highlight MCD as a top S&P 500 pick and show strong investor returns for 2025–2026, reinforcing conviction among long‑term holders. This supports multiple buyers viewing MCD as a defensive, growth‑plus‑income name. 3 S&P 500 Stocks to Target This Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Debate over valuation — several pieces ask whether recent multi‑year gains leave MCD fully priced, providing balanced views for new inflows versus profit‑taking by holders. That keeps trading range sensitive to macro/earnings news. Is It Too Late To Consider McDonald’s (MCD) After Strong Multi‑Year Share Price Gains
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest stories (e.g., “$1K invested since 2025”) and coverage of menu strategy trends help retail sentiment but are unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. If You Invested $1K in McDonald’s Stock at the Beginning of 2025, Here’s How Much You’d Have in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational tweak: updates to cash/payment rounding rules as pennies phase out are minor but could slightly change in‑store checkout dynamics; not material to margins. McDonald’s updates its cash rules as pennies vanish
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness (Dow and software selloff) is pressuring equities today; MCD can be pulled down in a risk‑off move despite company‑specific positives, which likely contributed to the intraday decline on lighter volume. Stock Market Today: Dow Dives, Cybersecurity Plays Hit As Software Sinks; Gold Stocks Shine

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.