McDonald’s Corporation MCD is positioning its technology infrastructure as an important catalyst for the next phase of growth. After years of building a digital-first business, the company is close to bringing its major markets onto a unified platform spanning one app, loyalty program, pricing engine, HR system and finance system. Management expects this integration to generate cost savings, speed innovation, strengthen security and improve system stability.
The scale of McDonald’s digital ecosystem provides a strong foundation. The company has nearly 220 million active loyalty users globally, giving it a substantial pool of customer data that can support more targeted promotions and personalized experiences. Management also expects to consolidate data into a global data lake, creating opportunities to apply artificial intelligence more effectively across the business.
The platform could also improve productivity. McDonald’s has invested in consolidating and upgrading global systems and processes, with management expecting these investments to begin delivering efficiency benefits in 2027 and help lower G&A spending as a percentage of system-wide sales.
However, execution remains critical. In the second quarter, the company pulled back on digital offers while introducing its new value program, contributing to weaker traffic. Management has since moved to restore national digital offers and increase personalized engagement with frequent customers.
Overall, a more integrated digital backbone could give MCD a powerful combination of growth, personalization, AI capabilities and productivity, provided it executes consistently across the vast restaurant system.
Digital Race: Starbucks and Domino’s Raise the Bar
McDonald’s is not alone in using digital platforms to drive customer engagement and productivity. Starbucks SBUX has strengthened its digital ecosystem by revamping Starbucks Rewards with tiered benefits, personalized offers and greater engagement. With 35.5 million active U.S. members, the program is designed to increase customer frequency and transactions, demonstrating how loyalty data can become a meaningful growth engine.
Domino’s Pizza DPZ represents another strong digital competitor. More than 85% of its U.S. retail sales came through digital channels in 2025, while Domino’s technology investments continue to enhance ordering convenience. In 2026, Domino’s upgraded the tracker with AI-powered delivery-time estimates and redesigned its website and app to improve the digital ordering experience.
Against these peers, MCD’s advantage is scale. The company’s nearly 220 million active loyalty users and planned integration of its app, loyalty, pricing, HR and finance systems could provide a broader platform for personalization, AI and productivity.
MCD’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
McDonald’s shares have lost 18.5% in the past six months, underperforming the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, the broader Retail and Wholesale sector and the S&P 500 index.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
On a forward 12-month basis, MCD trades at a P/E of 20.12, down from the industry’s 22.06.
MCD P/E (F12M)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MCD’s earnings estimates for 2026 have moved higher over the past 30 days, while estimates for 2027 have been revised downward. Despite these mixed revisions, the latest estimates project year-over-year earnings growth of 5.6% in 2026 and 8% in 2027, pointing to continued earnings momentum over the next two years.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MCD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
McDonald's Corporation (MCD): Free Stock Analysis Report
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Free Stock Analysis Report
Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).