McDonald's Growth Plans Questioned Amid US Sales Pressure

McDonald's recent investor day left some analysts questioning the company's long-term growth and profitability plans. At the event, management acknowledged areas where restaurant-level execution needs to improve.

TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles maintained a Hold rating but cut his price forecast from $282 to $270. He sees an uncertain recovery timeline for McDonald's US sales and models U.S. same-store sales below consensus for Q4 2026 and H1 2027.

Charles also questioned whether recent traffic weakness is structural rather than cyclical, pointing out that competition remains elevated and value offerings may provide limited incremental benefits. He noted that recovery could take several quarters and will require sustained traffic improvement.

Other analysts like BTIG's Peter Saleh maintained a Buy rating but lowered their price forecast from $350 to $295. Saleh slightly lowered his 2026 and 2027 EPS estimates, citing weak current sales trends and uncertainty around McDonald's long-term earnings outlook.