5 Best Depressed Stocks to Buy in 2026

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1. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD)

On May 11, 2026, JPMorgan lowered the firm’s price target on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) to $305 from $325 while maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares following the company’s Q1 report. The firm reduced its same-store sales estimates to reflect the current operating environment but said improving performance at existing restaurants outweighs earlier investor focus on capital-intensive new unit growth.

KeyBanc analyst Eric Gonzalez also lowered the firm’s price target on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) to $330 from $345 and maintained an Overweight rating. The firm said Q1 results largely came in as expected, with U.S. and International Operated Markets comparable sales slightly ahead of investor expectations. KeyBanc added that softer April trends are likely temporary due in part to difficult year-over-year comparisons, though macro uncertainty remains a key focus.

Similarly, Wells Fargo lowered the firm’s price target on McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) to $320 from $355 while maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm described Q1 as solid but said the update offered limited catalysts to improve sentiment amid softer April comparable sales, macro concerns, and competitive underperformance relative to Burger King.

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) owns, operates, and franchises McDonald’s restaurants globally.

While we acknowledge the potential of MCD to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MCD and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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