Washington Trust Bank Sells 1,785 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Washington Trust Bank decreased its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 32.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 3,721 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,785 shares during the period. Washington Trust Bank’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,131,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 1,542 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $469,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Solidarity Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 30.9% in the third quarter. Solidarity Wealth LLC now owns 39,791 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $12,092,000 after acquiring an additional 9,392 shares during the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp increased its position in McDonald’s by 0.3% in the third quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 99,669 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $30,288,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the period. Cannon Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Forum Financial Management LP boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 12,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,652,000 after purchasing an additional 1,995 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock worth $13,036,090 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $307.27 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $218.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.22, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $307.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $304.88. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $276.53 and a 52-week high of $326.32.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The company had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.23 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This is a boost from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 63.48%.

McDonald’s News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays published a bullish forecast for MCD, signaling strong expected price appreciation and supporting upside vs. peers. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an overweight rating, suggesting confidence in growth/strategy that can support longer-term multiple expansion. Sanford C. Bernstein Overweight (coverage roundup)
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” with a $320 target — implies limited near-term catalyst but indicates room for modest upside from current levels. TD Cowen Hold Rating Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s announced new and returning global menu items for 2026 — potential to boost customer traffic and average check if launches resonate. McDonald’s to Launch New and Returning Menu Items Worldwide in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Company says it’s changing its drive-thrus (operational update) — could improve throughput/experience but is execution-dependent. McDonald’s Is Changing Its Drive-Thrus
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report a new lawsuit alleging McDonald’s “deceived” customers about McRib ingredients — this raises near-term PR/legal risk and could pressure sales of a promoted product. McDonald’s is facing serious allegations about the McRib McDonald’s Faces Lawsuit Claiming It ‘Deceived’ Customers About the McRib
• Negative Sentiment: Unions have accused McDonald’s of repeated harassment of mostly teenage staff — intensifies labor/PR scrutiny that can lead to fines, protests, or higher labor costs if issues persist. Unions accuse McDonald’s of ‘repeated harassment’ against ‘mostly teenage’ staff
• Neutral Sentiment: Local openings (e.g., Biltmore grand opening) signal continued unit activity but have limited immediate impact on the stock. Biltmore McDonald’s celebrates grand opening

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho raised shares of McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “overweight” rating and set a $372.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 31st. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.