How Parkev Tatevosian, CFA’s view on $MCD changed

McDonald's performance in 2026 was disappointing. The stock has dropped by more than 18%, and of course I'm disappointed because I ranked McDonald's as one of the top 10 stocks to buy this year .

My ranking of McDonald's in the top ten for 2026 appears to have been premature, as the company has faced implementation difficulties along with macroeconomic headwinds . The management team recently pushed back their estimate for when they will reach their 50,000 store goal from 2027 to 2028.

McDonald's is another of my favorite stocks at the moment. I ranked it among the top 10 stocks. I calculated a fair value for McDonald's stock at $330 per share. The current market price is $262.

This leaves it with a 26% rise over the next 12 to 18 months.

One of my favorite positive factors for McDonald's, which I think the market underestimates, is its technological innovation across multiple categories, which could benefit McDonald's in the short and long term.

Food delivery networks and the spread of this technology allow McDonald's to reach more consumers on more occasions. You no longer have to leave your home to eat McDonald's. In addition, the company benefits from improvements in automation and robotics.

The food delivery networks I mentioned no longer need humans to deliver them. Over the next five years, more and more of these deliveries will be carried out by robots, which will reduce the cost of servicing these customers.

In addition, McDonald's is integrating automated kiosks into its stores and locations. This reduces the need for cashiers and lowers labor costs at every McDonald's location. Collectively, these innovations are something McDonald's hasn't seen in its business for decades.

I am excited to see how the company will prove successful in integrating and using these new technologies in its operations.