What You Need to Know Ahead of McDonald's Earnings Release

McDonald's Corporation (MCD), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois,operates and franchises fast food chains under the McDonald's brand. Valued at $221.3 billion by market cap, MCD is the world's largest fast food restaurant chain that offers various food products and soft drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages. With a global presence in over 40,000 locations in more than 100 countries, approximately 95% of its restaurants are owned and operated by independent local business owners. The fast-food giant is expected to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2026 in the near term. 

Ahead of the event, analysts expect MCD to report a profit of $2.75 per share on a diluted basis, up 3% from $2.67 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion. 

For the full year, analysts expect MCD to report EPS of $13.22, up 8.4% from $12.20 in fiscal 2025. Its EPS is expected to rise 9.2% year over year to $14.43 in fiscal 2027. 

MCD stock has underperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 34.9% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up slightly during this period. Similarly, it underperformed the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLY) 29.9% gains over the same time frame.

On Feb. 11, MCD shares closed down marginally after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted EPS of $3.12 topped Wall Street expectations of $3.05. The company’s revenue was $7 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $6.9 billion.

Analysts’ consensus opinion on MCD stock is moderately bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Out of 36 analysts covering the stock, 18 advise a “Strong Buy” rating, one suggests a “Moderate Buy,” 16 give a “Hold,” and one recommends a “Strong Sell.” MCD’s average analyst price target is $346.55, indicating a potential upside of 11.3% from the current levels.