McDonald's Stock Falls Below Key Technical Indicator for Longest Stretch Since 2003
McDonald’s (MCD) stock has spent more time below its 200-week moving average by the widest margin since 2003, signaling a long-term shift in market sentiment. Despite strong systemwide sales and loyalty program growth reported for Q2 2026, the company's shares are down roughly 21% over the past year — on track to be its worst calendar-year performance since 2002. The decline is attributed partly to aggressive price increases during inflationary periods from 2022–2024, which caused lower-income customers to shift away. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that rising costs are flattening industry traffic and warned investors on a recent call — comments that further pressured the stock. McDonald’s is now investing $8.5 billion over ten years in an effort to regain lost customer trust and affordability, but market confidence remains low as technical indicators suggest structural concerns persist.
Tickers: $MCD
Topics: 200-week moving average long-term stock trends McDonald's