McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Eyes Balancing Value and Profit as Analysts Reassess Pricing Upside

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is included in our list of the best restaurant stocks to buy now.

As of January 6, 2026, roughly 45% of analysts are bullish on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), with a median price target of $340.00, implying 13.40% upside.

One such firm, Bernstein SocGen Group, reiterated its “Market Perform” rating on December 10, while reiterating a $320 price target. The firm believes there is an untapped upside in the company’s a la carte pricing strategy. At the same time, the firm acknowledged McDonald’s aggressive push into value. The firm cited the $5 Meal Deal launched in June 2024, the Buy One Add One offer in January 2025, and Extra Value Meals introduced in September 2025. Still, Bernstein argued that more refined menu pricing could coexist with profitability goals.

Two days earlier, it was reported by CNBC that McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is moving from discretionary discounting to a more structured, standardized, and measurable approach to managing the trade-off between offering low prices to attract customers and preserving profitability. It was reported that the company will start evaluating franchisees globally to assess value-based pricing effectiveness starting January 1, 2026. With this, the company reinforces accountability across a system where franchisees operate about 95% of restaurants worldwide.

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), a global quick-service restaurant leader, has over 38,000 restaurants across the globe.

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