Joseph Erlinger Sells 333 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $330.43, for a total value of $110,033.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,885,645.19. This trade represents a 3.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $334.58 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $315.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $309.94. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $336.94. The firm has a market cap of $237.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Value + expansion: McDonald’s reported 5.7% global comparable growth in Q4 driven by value deals, digital momentum and plans for ~2,600 openings in 2026 — a near‑term traffic and longer‑term unit growth story that supports revenue and same‑store sales expectations. Can McDonald’s Value Strategy Sustain Traffic Gains in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Promotions & LTOs lifting visits: national $1 McMuffin promotions and the U.S. rollout of the supersized “Big Arch” burger are generating buzz and likely short‑term foot traffic and app engagement, helping maintain momentum into the quarter. McDonald’s launches supersized Big Arch Burger in US
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: JPMorgan raised its price target to $325 and kept an overweight view, reinforcing buy‑side conviction and providing a near‑term catalyst for investor demand. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts McDonald’s Price Target to $325.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Loyalty & beverage trends: coverage highlights loyalty programs and menu experimentation (including limited international items) that boost repeat visits — positive structurally but with uncertain immediate margin impact. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Chipotle Reward Loyal Customers. It Brings Them Back.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive & category context: broader coffee/cold‑beverage trends at rivals and Burger King’s strategy updates are industry factors to monitor; they affect relative share but aren’t an immediate McDonald’s earnings shock. Why Starbucks and Other Chains Are Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Their Biggest Spenders
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: recent filings show EVP Jonathan Banner and President Joe/ Joseph Erlinger sold shares (multi‑hundred to multi‑thousand share transactions). Executive sales can unsettle some investors even if for non‑company‑specific reasons. SEC Form 4 (Jonathan Banner sale)
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational noise: a controversial regional Ramadan ad in Germany and social backlash around high‑profile, politicized moments (e.g., coverage of Trump serving McDonald’s to Olympians) create short‑term PR risk that could pressure sentiment in specific markets. Why New McDonald’s Ad Campaign Will Show Empty Boxes With No Food Trump Serves McDonald’s To Olympic Hockey Champs And Many Fans Aren’t Lovin’ It

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Anchor Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 14,832 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,533,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. TD Capital Management LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 204 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. raised its stake in McDonald’s by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 54,129 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $16,543,000 after acquiring an additional 1,164 shares in the last quarter. Mariner Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $49,818,000. Finally, MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $4,546,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MCD. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.57.

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.