McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Hits New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $326.58 and last traded at $326.8240, with a volume of 1620842 shares. The stock had previously closed at $319.48.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG upgraded MCD to a Buy, which can lift investor sentiment and support near-term buying interest. BTIG Research Upgrades McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Massive publicity from the Valentine’s Day “McNugget Caviar” campaign and Free kit giveaways is driving consumer engagement and social media attention — a low-cost marketing win that could boost traffic and sales in the short term. McDonald’s is giving away free McNugget Caviar kits for Valentine’s Day — here’s how to get yours
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s named Loek Beckers as CFO of McDonald’s USA — an executive appointment that investors often view positively if it signals strengthened financial leadership and execution. Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonald’s USA
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s said it’s scaling back soda fountains and hinted at broader operational changes — could represent cost savings or a shift in in-store experience, but implications for margins and AUVs are unclear until details emerge. McDonald’s is scaling back soda fountains – and it hints at a larger change ahead
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets note heavy promotional activity (Friends Happy Meal, collectables) and brand storytelling that support customer engagement but have mixed direct lift-to-sales evidence. McDonald’s launches Friends Happy Meal with six collectable toys
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks and other previews flag that McDonald’s may lack the key drivers for an earnings beat heading into the upcoming quarterly release — this raises the risk of a disappointing print or muted guidance reaction. McDonald’s (MCD) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash over stricter rules for promotional items (Friends meal) could dent short-term sentiment or indicate execution/communication issues in certain markets. McDonald’s fans left ‘devastated’ over strict Friends ‘adult Happy Meal’ rule

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the subject of several research reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Fifteen investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $331.37.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $230.22 billion, a PE ratio of 27.58, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $310.21 and a 200 day moving average of $306.81.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.23 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total value of $977,094.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 6,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their position. 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 on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 32,008 shares of company stock valued at $9,895,452 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% in the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.