This Is What Whales Are Betting On McDonald's

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on McDonald's MCD, and it's important for retail traders to take note. \This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in MCD often signals that someone has privileged information.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for McDonald's. This is not a typical pattern.

The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 50% bullish and 12% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $107,640, and 7 calls, totaling $441,864.

Predicted Price Range

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $145.0 and $440.0 for McDonald's, spanning the last three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in McDonald's's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to McDonald's's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $145.0 to $440.0 over the preceding 30 days.

McDonald's Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About McDonald's

McDonald's is the largest restaurant owner-operator in the world, with 2023 system sales of $130 billion across nearly than 42,000 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.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with McDonald's, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of McDonald's

• With a volume of 533,349, the price of MCD is up 0.94% at $306.51.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 31 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About McDonald's

In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $303.2.

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20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access. * An analyst from Goldman Sachs persists with their Neutral rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $325. * An analyst from TD Cowen has revised its rating downward to Hold, adjusting the price target to $280. * An analyst from Citigroup persists with their Neutral rating on McDonald's, maintaining a target price of $301. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Baird continues to hold a Outperform rating for McDonald's, targeting a price of $320. * An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on McDonald's, which currently sits at a price target of $290.

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.

If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for McDonald's, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.