McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Raised to Buy at Erste Group Bank

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on MCD. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $327.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $233.08 billion, a PE ratio of 27.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $335.67. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $314.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $308.96.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,133. This trade represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 71,550 shares of company stock worth $23,484,957. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter worth $1,412,069,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% in the second 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raises 2026 capital spending to as much as $3.9B to accelerate restaurant openings and push toward 50,000 locations by 2027 — a growth push that supports revenue and unit‑level expansion if ROI targets hold. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations (Q4 EPS and revenue upside) and management declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Mar 3, pay Mar 17) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat Q4 & Dividend Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and product catalysts (Drake OVO collab, return of Shamrock Shake, new Big Arch burger, nostalgic Happy Meal toys) plus tests of high‑protein menu options for GLP‑1 users should help traffic and frequency. These LTOs and collaborations typically boost near‑term sales and brand engagement. Drake OVO Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is growing — several firms raised price targets or upgraded MCD recently (Erste, UBS, Argus among others), providing an analyst tailwind for the stock. Analyst Actions Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail/investor attention and brand stories (historical pieces, health/food features) are boosting awareness but are unlikely by themselves to move fundamentals. Zacks Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by CEO Christopher Kempczinski (~26,277 shares across filings) and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley (~4,692 shares) were disclosed (SEC filings), which can trigger short‑term selling or signal management cashing in after recent highs. CEO Insider Sale SEC Filing

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.