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McDonald's (MCD) Stock Forecast & Price Target

McDonald's logo
$276.42 +1.45 (+0.53%)
Closing price 05/15/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$276.70 +0.28 (+0.10%)
As of 05/15/2026 07:59 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

McDonald's - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
14
Buy
17

Based on 32 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for McDonald's in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 32 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 14 have given a hold rating, and 17 have given a buy rating for MCD.

Consensus Price Target

$334.45
20.99% Upside
According to the 32 analysts' twelve-month price targets for McDonald's, the average price target is $334.45. The highest price target for MCD is $385.00, while the lowest price target for MCD is $250.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 20.99% from the current price of $276.42.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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MCD Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
5/16/25 to 5/16/26
1 Month Ago
4/16/25 to 4/16/26
3 Months Ago
2/15/25 to 2/15/26
1 Year Ago
5/16/24 to 5/16/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
17 Buy rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
15 Buy rating(s)
16 Buy rating(s)
Hold
14 Hold rating(s)
13 Hold rating(s)
14 Hold rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$334.45$339.69$337.04$325.91
Forecasted Upside20.99% Upside10.61% Upside2.89% Upside2.32% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldHoldModerate Buy

MCD Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

MCD Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

McDonald's Stock vs. The Competition

TypeMcDonald'sRetail/Wholesale CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.50
2.15
2.52
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside20.99% Upside61.30% Upside17.91% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent MCD News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
5/11/2026
John Ivankoe
John Ivankoe
2 of 5 stars
Lower TargetOverweight$325.00 ➝ $305.00+11.39%
5/8/2026
Logan Reich
1 of 5 stars
Lower TargetSector Perform$330.00 ➝ $305.00+9.52%
5/8/2026
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
3 of 5 stars
Brian Harbour
Brian Harbour
2 of 5 stars
Set Target$331.00+17.98%
5/8/2026 Set Target$350.00+24.37%
5/8/2026Lower TargetOverweight$355.00 ➝ $320.00+12.73%
5/8/2026 UpgradeBuy
5/8/2026Lower TargetOverweight$380.00 ➝ $350.00+24.82%
5/8/2026Lower TargetOverweight$345.00 ➝ $330.00+16.25%
5/7/2026 Set Target$305.00+7.44%
5/7/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$370.00+30.34%
5/7/2026Lower TargetHold$330.00 ➝ $300.00+5.68%
4/27/2026 DowngradeBuy (B)Buy (B-)
4/27/2026 DowngradeBuyHold
4/23/2026UpgradeSellNeutral$260.00 ➝ $306.00+1.94%
3/6/2026Boost TargetBuy$360.00 ➝ $385.00+18.57%
2/13/2026UpgradeHoldBuy$380.00+14.53%
2/13/2026Lower TargetNeutral$325.00 ➝ $320.00-3.55%
2/12/2026Boost TargetBuy$360.00 ➝ $375.00+15.98%
2/12/2026Boost TargetNeutral$323.00 ➝ $325.00+0.52%
2/12/2026Boost TargetBuy$350.00 ➝ $365.00+12.89%
2/12/2026Reiterated RatingMarket Perform$340.00+5.16%
2/12/2026Boost TargetBuy$371.00 ➝ $375.00+15.98%
2/12/2026Boost TargetBuy$356.00 ➝ $370.00+14.81%
2/6/2026Boost TargetNeutral$300.00 ➝ $325.00+0.51%
1/6/2026UpgradeMarket PerformOutperform$355.00+17.30%
11/6/2025Reiterated RatingOutperform
8/22/2025Boost TargetHold$300.00 ➝ $315.00+0.59%
7/18/2025Lower TargetNeutral$327.00 ➝ $322.00+7.46%
7/14/2025 Initiated CoverageSell$250.00-16.61%
7/10/2025UpgradeNeutralBuy$345.00+17.61%
6/6/2025DowngradeBuyHold$346.00 ➝ $315.00+2.02%
6/5/2025Reiterated RatingHold$305.00-2.15%
5/6/2025DowngradeBuyNeutral
2/11/2025Boost TargetOutperform$320.00 ➝ $330.00+7.07%
7/30/2024 Lower TargetBuy$295.00 ➝ $290.00+9.63%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 02:22 AM ET.


Should I Buy McDonald's Stock? MCD Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these McDonald's pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

McDonald's
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in McDonald's Co.:

  • McDonald's Co. recently reported strong quarterly earnings, exceeding expectations with earnings per share of $2.83, which indicates robust financial health and effective management strategies.
  • The current stock price is around $335, reflecting a positive market sentiment and potential for growth as analysts maintain bullish ratings despite some price target adjustments.
  • Global comparable sales increased by 3.8%, driven by successful value meals and new menu items, showcasing the company's ability to attract customers even in challenging economic conditions.
  • Seventeen analysts have rated McDonald's Co. with a Buy rating, indicating widespread confidence in the company's future performance and growth potential.
  • Institutional investors hold a significant portion of the stock, with over 70% ownership, suggesting strong institutional confidence in McDonald's Co. as a solid investment choice.

McDonald's
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in McDonald's Co. for these reasons:

  • Some analysts have reduced their price targets for McDonald's Co., which may indicate concerns about future growth and profitability in a competitive market.
  • The company has a relatively high PE ratio, which could suggest that the stock is overvalued compared to its earnings, potentially leading to a price correction.
  • Despite positive sales growth, the overall economic environment remains uncertain, which could impact consumer spending and, consequently, McDonald's Co.'s revenue.
  • McDonald's Co. has a negative return on equity, which may raise concerns about the company's efficiency in generating profits from its equity investments.
  • Recent adjustments in ratings and price targets by various analysts reflect a cautious outlook, which could signal potential volatility in the stock price moving forward.

MCD Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 32 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for McDonald's is $334.45, with a high forecast of $385.00 and a low forecast of $250.00.

32 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for McDonald's in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 14 hold ratings and 17 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" MCD shares.

According to analysts, McDonald's's stock has a predicted upside of 20.99% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, McDonald's's stock had 3 upgrades and 2 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like McDonald's more than other "retail/wholesale" companies. The consensus rating for McDonald's is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "retail/wholesale" companies is Hold. Learn more on how MCD compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:MCD) was last updated on 5/16/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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