JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target to $325.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its target price raised by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $305.00 to $325.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price points to a potential downside of 2.43% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Argus raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $337.57.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:MCD opened at $333.09 on Tuesday. McDonald’s has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $336.00. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $315.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $309.77. The firm has a market cap of $237.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.87, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at $763,567.39. This trade represents a 73.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 78,084 shares of company stock worth $25,661,722 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 11.4% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $589,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. United Bank lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,367,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,780,000 after purchasing an additional 312 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: McDonald’s is bringing its high-performing international “Big Arch” burger to U.S. menus for a limited time; widespread media buzz and positive social reaction could boost traffic and AUV in the short term. McDonald’s to Bring Successful Big Arch Burger to U.S. Menus
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target and maintains an overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in MCD’s growth and margin resilience. Analyst support can underpin the stock even if the new PT sits below current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting that McDonald’s has quietly outperformed the consumer discretionary sector reinforces the narrative that MCD is a defensive, steady-growth food play within the group. McDonald’s Stock: Is MCD Outperforming the Consumer Discretionary Sector?
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s India (West & South) is running a Protein Week promotion to drive app engagement and value-focused protein options — a sign of localized marketing and menu-tailoring that can support international same-store-sales. McDonald’s India (W&S) Celebrates Protein Week, Encourages Everyday Protein Choices
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature pieces and investor retrospectives highlight McDonald’s long-term performance and brand strength; useful context but unlikely to move the stock by themselves. If You Invested $1K in McDonald’s Stock at the Beginning of 2025, Here’s How Much You’d Have in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares (~73% reduction in his holding) at about $333.29 — a large insider sale that some investors read as a caution signal even if sales are for diversification or personal reasons. SEC Filing: Jonathan Banner Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: President of U.S. Operations Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares (~3.7% of his holding) — additional insider selling that could weigh on sentiment if more executive sales follow. SEC Filing: Joseph M. Erlinger Form 4

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.