JPMorgan cuts McDonald's stock target from USD 280.00 to USD 260.00

Published on 10/01/2026 at 14:29 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Q2 revenue reached USD 7.10 billion, up 4.00 percent year over year. McDonald's stock costs EUR 205.15 on October 1, 2026 after EUR 204.10.

Modernes Fast-Food-Restaurant mit Self-Order-Kiosks an der Wand, lächelnde Gäste an weißen Tischen, Mitarbeiter an der Theke, warmes Ambientlicht, große Fensterfront zur Stadtstraße, kein Branding — McDonald's modernes Restaurant US5801351017 zeigt Self-Order-Kiosks mit freundlichen Gästen im hellen Innenraum, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

JPMorgan cut its McDonald's stock target from USD 280.00 to USD 260.00 on September 24, 2026, while retaining an Overweight rating, according to Boerse Express. The cut places demand and execution ahead of valuation in the market debate.

Second-quarter growth stayed positive

McDonald's reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of USD 7.10 billion, up 4.00 percent from USD 6.84 billion in the same quarter of 2025, according to Chase. The company also reported second-quarter net income of USD 2.36 billion, up 5.00 percent from USD 2.25 billion, and diluted earnings per share of USD 3.32, up 6.00 percent from USD 3.14.

Global comparable sales increased 1.30 percent in the second quarter of 2026, with the United States up 0.80 percent and international operated markets up 1.50 percent. The contrast matters: revenue expanded faster than comparable sales because systemwide sales and franchise-related income added support.

JPMorgan flags a slower recovery

The September 24 target cut followed McDonald's investor-day strategy update and reflects a more cautious view of the recovery pace, Boerse Express reported. McDonald's plans USD 8.50 billion of franchisee support through 2036, including USD 5.00 billion through 2030, making the timing of traffic improvement central to the investment case.

That spending commitment sits beside a profitable current operation. Second-quarter operating income reached USD 3.34 billion, up 3.00 percent from USD 3.23 billion in the comparable 2025 period, while the operating margin was 47.00 percent.

Dividend adds a shareholder cushion

McDonald's raised its quarterly cash dividend 4.00 percent to USD 1.93 per share on September 17, 2026, bringing the annualized payout to USD 7.72, according to PR Newswire. The board said the dividend is payable on December 15, 2026 to shareholders of record on December 1, 2026.

The payout milestone does not remove the operating question raised by the target cut: whether improved traffic can justify the planned technology, remodeling and franchisee investments. For the stock, the latest earnings figures show growth, while the analyst action places greater weight on the speed and cost of that growth.

Euro quote stays above prior close

McDonald's stock was trading at EUR 205.15 at Lang & Schwarz on October 1, 2026 at 2:16 p.m. CEST, plus 0.51 percent versus the EUR 204.10 prior close from September 30, 2026. The NYSE quote was last at USD 230.94 on September 30, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EDT; its 52-week range was USD 230.88 to USD 341.75.

The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of McDonald's stock.