McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CEO Sells $8,706,883.95 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total transaction of $8,706,883.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,587,915. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $327.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,367,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,291,308. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The stock has a market cap of $233.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $313.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $308.70.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors 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 2.3%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $337.04.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after buying an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 11.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $589,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. United Bank grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 6.0% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,367,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period. Finally, Swan Global Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $257,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 outperformance and a clear value strategy. Recent coverage highlights MCD’s Q4 beat, double-digit active app engagement and a permanent “McValue” push that helped U.S. comps grow ~6.8% — a key reason investors see low downside and continued share gains. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 menu rollout tied to sales rebound. McDonald’s unveiled its 2026 menu and promotional plan, which management ties directly to the sales rebound and traffic recovery — a near-term revenue catalyst. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and limited-time items returning. The Shamrock Shake and other beloved seasonal items are back nationwide — recurring LTOs that reliably boost traffic and spend. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New product and brand engagement initiatives. McDonald’s is debuting new items (Big Arch burger) and launching branded collectibles/trading cards to drive visits and social buzz. These low-cost marketing plays can increase frequency among younger cohorts. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation to address diet trends. McDonald’s is testing higher‑protein menu options in response to GLP‑1‑driven consumer changes — a proactive product response that could protect traffic if tastes shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and history pieces with limited near-term impact. Several features (drive‑thru origin, nostalgia pieces) bolster brand perception but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.

McDonald’s Company 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.