Analysts Set McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) PT at $325.48

McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $325.91.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Northcoast Research lowered McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Barclays lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $347.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Piper Sandler upped their price target on McDonald’s from $292.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 3,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $962,432.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 9,858 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,892.08. This trade represents a 24.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.50, for a total transaction of $299,071.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 12,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,853,850. This represents a 7.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 17,636 shares of company stock valued at $5,420,722. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Pinney & Scofield Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.5%

MCD stock opened at $311.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $223.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The business’s 50-day moving average is $310.18 and its 200 day moving average is $300.25. McDonald’s has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $326.32.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The fast-food giant reported $2.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67. The business had revenue of $5.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.17 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 181.63% and a net margin of 31.73%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.70 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K.