Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards McDonald's MCD, 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 14 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 14% leaning bullish and 57% bearish. Among these notable options, 9 are puts, totaling $538,632, and 5 are calls, amounting to $267,900.
Projected Price Targets
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $260.0 and $315.0 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 661.46, with a total volume reaching 1,291.00. 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 $260.0 to $315.0, throughout the last 30 days.
McDonald's Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $13.5 | $13.15 | $13.15 | $300.00 | $131.5K | 1.4K | 3 |
| MCD | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $29.2 | $27.35 | $28.67 | $300.00 | $114.6K | 370 | 41 |
| MCD | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 03/21/25 | $20.4 | $19.75 | $20.12 | $270.00 | $80.4K | 410 | 0 |
| MCD | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 02/21/25 | $8.45 | $8.35 | $8.35 | $285.00 | $71.8K | 376 | 238 |
| MCD | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 06/20/25 | $32.5 | $31.7 | $31.65 | $260.00 | $63.3K | 366 | 20 |
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.
Present Market Standing of McDonald's
- Currently trading with a volume of 2,370,336, the MCD's price is down by -1.34%, now at $283.07.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching oversold.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 24 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About McDonald's
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $338.0.
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