McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD – Free Report) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank issued their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of McDonald’s in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau anticipates that the fast-food giant will post earnings of $14.35 per share for the year. Erste Group Bank has a “Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for McDonald’s’ current full-year earnings is $12.25 per share.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share.
Read Our Latest Analysis on McDonald’s
McDonald’s Trading Up 0.6%
NYSE MCD opened at $329.17 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $309.22. McDonald’s has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $234.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.55, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.52.
McDonald’s Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.
Insider Activity at McDonald’s
In other McDonald’s news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were 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 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 71,550 shares of company stock worth $23,484,957 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after purchasing an additional 703,458 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in McDonald’s by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,997,789,000 after buying an additional 959,140 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 0.4% in 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 buying an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% during the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 277,617 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s
Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company is raising 2026 capital expenditures to as much as $3.9 billion to accelerate restaurant openings and hit a 50,000-location target by 2027 — management argues the ROI on these openings supports long‑term growth and same-store sales leverage. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher: What’s Supporting the ROI Case?
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: Erste Group Bank raised MCD to a Buy, a vote of confidence that can support further buying interest from institutional investors. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Raised to Buy at Erste Group Bank
- Positive Sentiment: Menu/product innovation: McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu options aimed at customers using GLP‑1 drugs — a potential traffic and AUV (average unit volume) driver if it attracts a new, health‑focused customer segment. McDonald’s is considering expanding protein menu for GLP-1 users
- Positive Sentiment: Brand/pop buzz: Collaborations and limited releases (e.g., the Drake OVO meal internationally) keep McDonald’s culturally relevant and can lift short‑term traffic and merchandising revenue. McDonald’s x Drake’s OVO Meal Is Finally Here — But Not in the US
- Positive Sentiment: Menu nostalgia and limited-time items returning (beloved menu items/seasonal promotions) support traffic and repeat visits—helpful for near‑term comps. McDonald’s Brings Back Beloved Menu Item
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention pieces (Zacks/Yahoo) note increased retail/institutional interest and recap recent fundamentals — useful context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
- Neutral Sentiment: Local/menu curiosities (e.g., a rare Canadian breakfast item, regional shake returns) generate PR and incremental sales but limited broader financial impact. McDonald’s New Canadian Breakfast Item Is Out, but It’s a Rare Find
- Neutral Sentiment: Feature/legacy stories (human‑interest or history pieces) create brand conversation but are unlikely to move the stock materially. How One Man Humiliated McDonald’s and Built a $20 Billion Empire
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares recently — a datapoint investors watch for signaling, even though single insider sales often have benign explanations. Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,277 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock
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.
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