McDonald's NEXT Plan, Value Push Seen Outweighing Near-Term US Weakness, UBS Says

01:00 PM EDT, 10/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- McDonald's (MCD) is well positioned to gain global market share in 2027, as its NEXT growth strategy and value-focused plans should support sales beyond a difficult macro backdrop, UBS said in a note Monday. The brokerage said risk/reward is skewed positively, with shares at the lower end of historical valuation ranges. UBS pointed to multiyear catalysts for US sales and defensive characteristics that should keep earnings stable in a volatile environment. McDonald's is scheduled to report its Q3 results on Nov. 4. UBS expects pressured US performance, citing macro weakness and potentially lingering execution issues, partly offset by menu innovation, value offerings and loyalty. UBS forecasts US same-store sales down 0.8%, below the consensus estimate, with headwinds likely persisting into Q4 against tough comparisons with last year's Monopoly and Grinch Meal campaigns. Meanwhile, it expects trends to improve as NEXT initiatives roll out, modeling US same-store sales growth of 0.6% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027. UBS maintained its buy rating on the stock with a price target of $320 per share. Price: 242.79, Change: -0.18, Percent Change: -0.07