McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Barclays from $358.00 to $372.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the fast-food giant’s stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 22.28% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on MCD. Guggenheim increased their price target on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho upgraded McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $328.24.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD traded up $1.46 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $304.23. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,677,771 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,255,174. McDonald’s has a one year low of $276.53 and a one year high of $326.32. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $307.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $304.63. The stock has a market cap of $216.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly 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). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.23 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 13,134 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.42, for a total transaction of $3,945,716.28. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,383,734.52. This represents a 74.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $977,094.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 6,088 shares in the company, valued at $1,861,832.16. This trade represents a 34.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock valued at $13,036,090 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its position in McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd 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 last quarter. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see McDonald’s as an attractive restaurant pick, citing resilient cash flow and unit economics that support upside for the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out new menu items globally in 2026 — product innovation and localized offerings can drive traffic and boost same-store sales where launched. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brand marketing: Pokémon cards are returning to Happy Meals in 2026 — a high-profile promotion that can increase visits, AUV (average unit volumes) and social attention. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Income/defensive appeal: The Motley Fool highlights McDonald’s among smart dividend stocks, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and research (Zacks) note disciplined unit expansion as a core driver to offset consumer traffic headwinds — important for medium-term systemwide sales growth. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local real estate: A McDonald’s site was demolished to make way for a $100M development — largely a local real estate story rather than a system-wide signal. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/regulatory: A local council was urged to block 24/7 openings at a McDonald’s — a localized operational debate that could affect hours at select outlets but is not a broad, company-level earnings driver. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market note: Coverage (Zacks) flagged a recent pullback during a broader market uptick — useful context for short-term moves but not new company-specific fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputation risk: McDonald’s is facing a federal class-action alleging the McRib product is misleading about its pork content. The suit could create PR headwinds, defense costs and potential settlements — McDonald’s has said the claims “distort the facts.” Monitor developments for any material financial exposure. Article Title Company Response

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.