McDonald's Is Down, But Long-Term Investors Can Still Take a Bite

Core Viewpoint - McDonald's stock has declined approximately 8% over the past month due to disappointing earnings, with same-store sales falling over 2% [1][4] Group 1: Recent Performance and Analyst Sentiment - Six analysts have downgraded McDonald's stock following its latest earnings report, with Redburn Atlantic notably downgrading it from Buy to Sell and reducing the price target from $319 to $260 [4] - The stock currently has a Hold rating among analysts, with an estimated upside of 11.3% [5][16] Group 2: Market Influences - The decline in sales is attributed to the popularity of GLP-1 drugs, which reduce appetite and are expected to cause an annual revenue loss of around 1% ($482 million) for fast-food restaurants [2][6] - McDonald's has raised prices by an average of 40% over the past five years, impacting its core lower-income consumer base [8][9] Group 3: Long-Term Outlook - Despite short-term challenges, the stock may present a long-term buying opportunity as it approaches historical valuation averages, with a P/E ratio of approximately 25x [3][14] - The company has a strong dividend history, having increased its dividend for 49 consecutive years, which may attract long-term investors [14]