Argus Cuts McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target to $310.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price target lowered by Argus from $320.00 to $310.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. Argus currently has a buy rating on the fast-food giant’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on MCD. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group set a $305.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $295.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.96.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $265.05 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.53, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $270.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $291.72. McDonald’s has a fifty-two week low of $259.85 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The company had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.19 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.44%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MCD. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 7.1% in the second quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,471,725 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $397,822,000 after acquiring an additional 97,060 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $69,948,000. Carlson Financial Inc. raised its position in McDonald’s by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Carlson Financial Inc. now owns 1,827 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $494,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 2,124 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in McDonald’s by 27,036.7% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 302,891,546 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $81,874,614,000 after purchasing an additional 301,775,375 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 34,703 MCD call options, approximately 34% above typical volume. The activity may indicate increased bullish speculation, though options flow alone does not confirm a sustained rally.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s benefited from a modest rebound in burger stocks as traders considered whether elevated short interest could contribute to a short squeeze. Wendy’s Climbs 4%, McDonald’s Ticks Up: Is Short Interest Setting Up a Squeeze in the Burger Trade?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is bringing back Spicy McNuggets on September 1 after a two-year absence, alongside other limited-time menu items and seasonal coffee promotions. These launches could support traffic and customer engagement, although their financial impact is likely modest. McDonald’s to Bring Back Spicy McNuggets
• Positive Sentiment: A consumer survey again ranked McDonald’s fries ahead of major competitors, reinforcing the brand’s strong customer recognition. A Hello Kitty and Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may provide additional promotional appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparisons with Domino’s highlight McDonald’s global expansion, digital initiatives and customer-engagement efforts, but do not represent a new company-specific catalyst. McDonald’s vs. Domino’s: Which Stock Has Better Growth Prospects?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about a fake McDonald’s support bot promising free premium AI tools appear to be a scam warning rather than an operating or earnings development.
• Negative Sentiment: Argus lowered its McDonald’s price target to $310, signaling more limited near-term upside despite the target remaining above the current market level. Argus Lowers McDonald’s Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s slipped with other burger stocks after takeover speculation surrounding Wendy’s faded, removing a sector-wide catalyst. Separately, commentary pointing to weakening consumer conditions raises concerns about pressure on traffic and value-focused spending, though the claim is not a formal company forecast.

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.