MQS Management LLC Lowers Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

MQS Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 66.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 835 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,676 shares during the period. MQS Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $254,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,331,031 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $20,840,787,000 after buying an additional 921,936 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in McDonald’s by 0.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,175,800,000 after acquiring an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,901,595,000 after acquiring an additional 276,065 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer raised McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $335.63.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results (revenue up ~9.7% YoY; EPS topped consensus), a primary bullish catalyst for the stock. McDonald’s Q4 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates, Rise Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Value-driven traffic recovery — Management says Extra Value Meals, $5 meal bundles and promotions lifted U.S. traffic and drove the fastest comparable-sales growth in over two years, while loyalty engagement climbed strongly. McDONALD’S REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/targets rising — Multiple firms have raised price targets and reiterated Buy/Overweight ratings after the beat, supporting upside momentum. MCD Price Target Raised at Truist (example)
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/pop-culture buzz — Stunts like free McNugget “caviar” kits and the seasonal Shamrock Shake generated headlines and short-term traffic spikes; good for brand momentum but limited long-term earnings impact. McDonald’s launches McNugget caviar kits
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee tensions — Some franchisees are resisting centralized pricing/value directives; uneven local execution or disputes could limit consistent margin or traffic benefits. Value is the key to McDonald’s growth plans, but it’s creating tensions with some franchisees
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A senior U.S. executive disclosed a ~2,626-share sale (~$854k), which some investors view as profit-taking after the earnings pop. SEC Form 4: Joseph M. Erlinger sale

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,407,133. The trade was a 58.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was 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 directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD opened at $331.78 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $333.38. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $312.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $308.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $236.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 313.07% and a net margin of 31.85%.The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 63.48%.

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.