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Nov 04, 2019
McDonald's (MCD, $187.95) stock downgraded by Piper Jaffray, following firing of CEO

McDonald's (MCD, $187.95) stock downgraded by Piper Jaffray, following firing of CEO

McDonald's shares got downgraded Piper Jaffray, following the firing of CEO Steve Easterbrook.

Easterbrook has to leave the company because his consensual relationship with an employee violated company policy. "This was a mistake," Easterbrook wrote in an email to employees on Sunday, "Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on."

Piper Jaffray analysts lowered their rating on the fast food chain’s shares to neutral from overweight. The price target also was cut to $195 from $224 at Piper Jaffray.

The exit of Easterbrook could create some disruption and pressure on McDonald shares, as indicated by Piper Jaffray’s moves. “Our experience leads us to take a more cautionary view noting the potential lack of momentum and time involved in formalizing a new team,” Piper Jaffray wrote.

However, Piper Jaffray also mentioned that their change in rating does not reflect McDonald's overall ability to “dominate in terms of global market scale, the effectiveness of its leadership team, or the effort behind its franchise network”.

Related Ticker: MCD

MCD in +1.40% Uptrend, growing for three consecutive days on June 24, 2026

Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where MCD advanced for three days, in of 326 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .

Price Prediction Chart

Technical Analysis (Indicators)

Bullish Trend Analysis

The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on July 06, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on MCD as a result. In of 87 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for MCD just turned positive on July 02, 2026. Looking at past instances where MCD's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 46 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .

MCD may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.

The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 312 cases where MCD Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .

Bearish Trend Analysis

The Stochastic Oscillator has been in the overbought zone for 1 day. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.

MCD moved below its 50-day moving average on July 08, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.

Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where MCD declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)

The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.

The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (0.000) is normal, around the industry mean (5.771). P/E Ratio (22.939) is within average values for comparable stocks, (39.695). MCD's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.555) is slightly higher than the industry average of (1.727). Dividend Yield (0.026) settles around the average of (0.027) among similar stocks. MCD's P/S Ratio (7.252) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (1.912).

The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 86, placing this stock slightly better than average.

The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.

The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. MCD’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.

Notable companies

The most notable companies in this group are McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD), Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX), Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM), Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG), Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI), Yum China Holdings (NYSE:YUMC), Dominos Pizza Inc (NASDAQ:DPZ), Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK), Noodles & Co (NASDAQ:NDLS).

Industry description

The industry includes companies that operate full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, cafeterias and snack bars. McDonald`s Corporation, Starbucks Corporation, YUM! Brands, Inc. and Restaurant Brands International Inc. are some of the largest U.S. restaurant-owning companies in terms of market capitalization. While restaurant spending could be viewed as discretionary for consumers, some companies in the business have been able to weather economic cycles by establishing strong loyalty among customers over the years. Many of them also have a strong global presence as well.

Market Cap

The average market capitalization across the Restaurants Industry is 10.46B. The market cap for tickers in the group ranges from 2.74K to 197.7B. MCD holds the highest valuation in this group at 197.7B. The lowest valued company is BFICQ at 2.74K.

High and low price notable news

The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the Restaurants Industry was -5%. For the same Industry, the average monthly price growth was 5%, and the average quarterly price growth was -3%. VENU experienced the highest price growth at 11%, while CCHH experienced the biggest fall at -24%.

Volume

The average weekly volume growth across all stocks in the Restaurants Industry was 49%. For the same stocks of the Industry, the average monthly volume growth was 45% and the average quarterly volume growth was 54%

Fundamental Analysis Ratings

The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows

Valuation Rating: 49
P/E Growth Rating: 59
Price Growth Rating: 54
SMR Rating: 69
Profit Risk Rating: 85
Seasonality Score: -7 (-100 ... +100)
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General Information

an operator of food restaurant chain

Industry Restaurants

Profile
Details
Industry
Restaurants
Address
110 North Carpenter Street
Phone
+1 630 623-3000
Employees
150000
Web
https://www.investor.mcdonalds.com
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McDonald's (MCD, $187.95) stock downgraded by Piper Jaffray, following firing of CEO