The fast food leader has struggled to maintain gains in the short- and long-term
Shares of McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD) are higher before the bell, last seen up $1.44 at $298.55. Driving this morning's surge is a surprising 0.4% jump in quarterly global same-sales, a large contrast to analysts' estimated 0.63% drop. For the fourth quarter, the fast food chain posted an adjusted earnings per share of $2.83, which was in line with estimates, while its $6.39 billion in revenue missed expectations.
Today's climb will bring a welcome boost to both the equity's year-to-date and year-over-year readings, both of which sit just above breakeven. MCD late last week broke above long-term overhead pressure at the 50-day moving average, and with today's surge in tow, shares could be eyeing their highest close since mid-December.
Analysts have yet to chime in on McDonald's earnings performance, but heading into today sentiment looked split. In fact, there looks to be plenty of room for upgrades, with 13 of the 34 covering brokerages sporting a tepid "hold" recommendation.
Calls have been popular of late, per MCD's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.42 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which ranks higher than 99% of annual readings. Further, the security’s Schaeffer’s Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at 73 out of 100, indicating the stock tends to exceed volatility expectations.