Mizuho Boosts McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target to $325.00

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective upped by equities research analysts at Mizuho from $300.00 to $325.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 0.51% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $360.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday. Guggenheim boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $372.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $332.30.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $323.36 on Friday. McDonald’s has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $328.06. The company has a market cap of $230.28 billion, a PE ratio of 27.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $310.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $307.03.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.23 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

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 shares were sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total transaction of $977,094.90. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were 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 owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 32,008 shares of company stock valued at $9,895,452. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

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

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.86 per share (payable Mar. 17; ex‑div Mar. 3). The payout and yield (~2.3%) reinforce MCD’s income profile and dividend-growth story that appeals to yield-seeking investors. PR Newswire Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum and defensive positioning: some firms have raised price targets recently and commentators are highlighting McDonald’s as a defensive, cash‑generative name ahead of Q4 results — supporting buyer interest into earnings. Zacks: Earnings Preview
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile marketing/PR: the Valentine’s McNugget “caviar” kit promotion is generating viral coverage and social engagement — free kits and novelty tie‑ins can boost traffic, brand relevance and earned media at low incremental cost. Yahoo: McNugget Caviar Kits
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst view remains middling: coverage shows a roughly even split of buy/hold/sell with an average “Hold” rating from ~31 firms — indicates limited near‑term re‑rating potential absent a strong earnings beat. DefenseWorld: Analyst Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership update: Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonald’s USA — routine C‑suite appointment that supports execution but is not a gamechanger for near‑term results. NRN: CFO Appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion noise: Tinley Park approved a 24‑hour drive‑through despite resident pushback — incremental unit-level hours can modestly lift sales where feasible but is a localized development. Chicago Tribune: Tinley Park Drive‑Through
• Negative Sentiment: Product and operations criticism: multiple consumer stories flag perceived declines in specific menu items and reports McDonald’s is scaling back soda fountains — could weigh on brand perception and guest satisfaction if trends persist. MSN: Menu Quality Concerns MSN: Soda Fountain Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Headline risk into earnings: investors are focused on whether traffic declines among lower‑income customers stabilized in Q4 — disappointing commentary or guidance could quickly reverse the recent run‑up. (See earnings preview.)

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.