What Happened?

Shares of fast-food chain McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) fell 8.4% in the morning session after the company is being investigated following an E. coli outbreak in some US stores. McDonald's noted that it had halted distribution of the onions linked to the outbreak and removed the affected item from menus in the affected states. The stock's reaction suggests markets might be struggling to understand how much the outbreak might impact the business.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Is now the time to buy McDonald's? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

What The Market Is Telling Us

McDonald’s shares are not very volatile and have had no moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

McDonald's is up 0.4% since the beginning of the year, and at $298.20 per share, it is trading close to its 52-week high of $316.56 from October 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of McDonald’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,497.

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