McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Price Expected to Rise, KeyCorp Analyst Says

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at KeyCorp from $280.00 to $307.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. KeyCorp‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 11.09% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on MCD. Melius Research decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Gordon Haskett dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Tigress Financial increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price objective on McDonald’s from $309.00 to $293.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on McDonald’s from $290.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.82.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD traded down $1.68 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $276.36. 6,331,310 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,495,061. McDonald’s has a 1-year low of $229.20 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The company has a 50 day moving average of $248.76 and a 200-day moving average of $282.57. The stock has a market cap of $195.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.42.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.19. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%. The company had revenue of $7.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.22 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s will post 12.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 11.0% in the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 372 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 2.5% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 1,532 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $476,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Signature Equity Partners LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 3.6% in the first quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 1,087 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $338,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 1.0% during the second quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkwoods Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 4.5% during the second quarter. Parkwoods Wealth Partners LLC now owns 891 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $320 from $310 and reiterated a “buy” rating, signaling confidence in the stock’s prospects. Argus rating
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing value bundles at nearly 2,000 U.S. restaurants, ahead of a planned national value platform in early 2027. The deals may help bring back customers, but the company is still assessing their effect on traffic and orders. McDonald’s value-bundle test
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter profit beat analyst estimates, but revenue missed and U.S. comparable sales declined. That mixed backdrop helps explain why investors are watching for evidence that value promotions can sustain a domestic recovery. Q3 earnings and U.S. traffic
• Negative Sentiment: Consumers have filed a lawsuit alleging McDonald’s labeled McCafé drinks “sugar free” despite some containing as much as 18 grams of sugar. The allegations are unproven, but the case could create legal and reputational risk. McCafé labeling lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker cut its rating from “buy” to “hold” and lowered its price target to $298 from $305, adding a more cautious view alongside the recent analyst optimism. Freedom Broker rating change

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.