BTIG Research Upgrades McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) to Buy

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by BTIG Research from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $360.00 price target on the fast-food giant’s stock. BTIG Research’s target price indicates a potential upside of 14.34% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim increased their target price on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Mizuho raised McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $330.08.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $314.86 on Monday. McDonald’s has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $309.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $306.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $224.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.58, for a total value of $805,079.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,654,918.84. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,169,430. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169 over the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCD. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the second 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 purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $913,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 96.0% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,188,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,751 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: New high?ticket product could drive traffic and AUVs — reports say McDonald’s may bring its 1,057?calorie “Big Arch” burger to the U.S.; analysts/media suggest it could be a billion?dollar seller if broadly rolled out, which would boost average check and spike temporary store visits. McDonald’s may bring its 1,057?calorie Big Arch to America soon
• Positive Sentiment: Menu nostalgia and limited returns can boost visits — McDonald’s brought back a “most requested” item and continues promotional plays that typically lift frequency and off?peak traffic. These are low?cost marketing moves with measurable sales upside. McDonald’s Brings Back ‘Most Requested’ Item After 39 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Promotions to drive foot traffic — free?fries promotions and low?friction items (e.g., seasonal freebies) can increase transactions and ancillary sales, supporting short?term comps. McDonald’s Keeps Fry Lovers Happy in 2026 With the Return of Free Fries Friday
• Neutral Sentiment: Long?term investor narrative piece — retrospectives on McDonald’s multi?decade return highlight the company’s resilience but don’t change near?term fundamentals; useful for long?term investor sentiment but not an immediate catalyst. If You’d Put $100 into McDonald’s 1965 IPO, Here’s What It Would Be Worth Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor consumer tip about pricing/offerings — stories about buying McDonald’s bags of ice as a budget hack are interesting for households but unlikely to move sales or margins materially. Buying McDonald’s bags of ice can be a money?saving move
• Negative Sentiment: Viral quality/PR concern — Reddit users posted that McDonald’s cheese “doesn’t melt anymore,” sparking social discussion. If the issue reflects a supply or recipe change, it could dent brand perception and discourage repeat visits; magnitude depends on whether this becomes widespread or is debunked. Redditors noticed McDonald’s cheese doesn’t melt anymore. Does it?
• Negative Sentiment: Small institutional trimming — UMB Bank reported a modest 1.6% reduction in its MCD holdings (about 2,144 shares sold in the period). It’s not a major vote of no confidence but is a data point showing some institutional rebalancing. UMB Bank n.a. Trims Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

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.