Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards McDonald's , and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in MCD usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 8 extraordinary options activities for McDonald's. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 25% leaning bullish and 62% bearish. Among these notable options, 6 are puts, totaling $251,411, and 2 are calls, amounting to $55,830.

Expected Price Movements

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $310.0 and $330.0 for McDonald's, spanning the last three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of McDonald's stands at 371.25, with a total volume reaching 221.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in McDonald's, situated within the strike price corridor from $310.0 to $330.0, throughout the last 30 days.

McDonald's Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About McDonald's

McDonald's is the largest restaurant owner-operator in the world, with 2024 system sales of $131 billion across more than 43,000 stores and 115 markets. McDonald's pioneered the franchise model, building its footprint through partnerships with independent restaurant franchisees and master franchise partners around the globe. The firm earns roughly 60% of its revenue from franchise royalty fees and lease payments, with most of the remainder coming from company-operated stores across its three core segments: the United States, internationally operated markets, and international developmental/licensed markets.

Having examined the options trading patterns of McDonald's, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Present Market Standing of McDonald's

With a trading volume of 880,704, the price of MCD is down by -0.09%, reaching $306.3.

Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.

Next earnings report is scheduled for 57 days from now.

Professional Analyst Ratings for McDonald's

In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $323.0.

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* An analyst from Barclays persists with their Overweight rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $350.

* An analyst from Truist Securities persists with their Buy rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $340.

* An analyst from Piper Sandler persists with their Neutral rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $290.

* An analyst from Keybanc persists with their Overweight rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $335.

* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from JP Morgan continues to hold a Overweight rating for McDonald's, targeting a price of $300.

Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.

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