McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Diversify Advisory Services LLC

Diversify Advisory Services LLC lowered its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 12.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,993 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,533 shares during the quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,258,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Altman Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Altman Advisors Inc. now owns 7,773 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,362,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 81.1% during the 3rd quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 760,765 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $231,189,000 after purchasing an additional 340,774 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 353,145 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $107,317,000 after purchasing an additional 49,011 shares during the last quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 26.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 7,637 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,314,000 after buying an additional 1,585 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Wealth Advisors increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.3% during the third quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors now owns 117,591 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $35,735,000 after acquiring an additional 2,633 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target 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. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product momentum — McDonald’s Big Arch burger is being heavily promoted (CEO appearances, social campaigns such as “First Job Confessional”) and is generating strong online buzz that can lift traffic and brand engagement. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Tests Brand Power And Rich Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — At least one outlet reports a raised price target to $385, signaling increased analyst confidence in MCD’s outlook and valuation support. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $385.00
• Positive Sentiment: Viral CEO marketing — A widely viewed video of McDonald’s CEO sampling the new product has driven free publicity and conversations that amplify the Big Arch campaign. Increased organic attention can translate into short-term traffic gains. Viral video of McDonald’s CEO eating new ‘product’ draws response from Columbus Metropolitan Library
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing variability — A study shows Big Arch prices vary widely across U.S. markets; this affects local comps and customer perception but is not a company-wide earnings surprise. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Prices Swing Wildly Across U.S., New Study Shows
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing product initiatives — New Happy Meal offerings and Filet‑O‑Fish tips/PR continue to support menu innovation and value perception, which can aid transaction growth over time. McDonald’s announces new happy meal
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and reputational noise — Rival chains (notably Burger King) and their agencies have produced social jabs that highlight brand rivalry; while largely promotional theatre, sustained negative narratives can dent sentiment. Burger King names 2 new agencies following viral Whopper bite moment
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/logistics risk — Analysis flags meaningful exposure to very high oil prices (fuel for delivery/drive‑thru, packaging, logistics) that could suppress demand or raise operating risk if energy spikes materially. McDonald’s Real Risk From $150 Oil Has Nothing to Do With Costs

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total transaction of $8,706,883.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,587,915. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 71,517 shares of company stock worth $23,655,503 over the last quarter. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $331.03 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $318.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $311.15. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $341.75. The firm has a market cap of $235.17 billion, a PE ratio of 27.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for 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%.The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

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.