Fred Alger Management LLC Sells 2,129 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Fred Alger Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 7.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,057 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,129 shares during the quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $7,918,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Traub Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Miller Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.34, for a total value of $862,220.84. Following the sale, the insider owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,867,393.22. The trade was a 23.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc raised its price target and called out strong momentum in McDonald’s U.S. business — a direct analyst catalyst that supports upside expectations. KeyBanc Cites Strong Momentum in McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)’s Domestic Business
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish pieces (Seeking Alpha, Seeking Alpha follow-ups, and Yahoo summaries of bullish theses) argue McDonald’s is still a structurally attractive holding thanks to scale, menu innovation and resilient margins. These reinforce buy-side interest. Three Reasons To Own McDonald’s Now
• Positive Sentiment: Company strategy milestones (franchising, digital/operational improvements highlighted in business press) are being framed as the “next big step” in McDonald’s post‑pandemic playbook — potentially supportive for long‑term sales and margins. McDonald’s Just Announced the Next Big Step In Its Post-Pandemic Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: McValue 2.0 menu is getting attention as a traffic driver, but analysts warn McDonald’s current valuation leaves limited upside — positive for comps but mixed for shares. McDonald’s McValue 2.0 Menu Is Appetizing But Valuation Leaves Little Room For Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple consumer‑interest pieces (sauces, fries, Filet‑O‑Fish cheese) are being shared widely — good for brand engagement but unlikely to move the stock materially. How are McDonald’s Big Mac & Big Arch sauces different? Why McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Always Has Crooked Cheese
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting Darden (DRI) and Restaurant Brands (QSR) outpacing McDonald’s highlights relative underperformance risk — investors may reallocate to higher‑growth peers. Why DRI And QSR Are Outpacing McDonald’s Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Barchart suggests the stock’s price targets have moved higher but the share price has been flat, making shorting out‑of‑the‑money puts an attractive trade — a signal that some market participants expect limited near‑term upside or downside risk. McDonald’s Stock Price Targets Are Higher – Shorting MCD Puts Works Here
• Negative Sentiment: Industry pieces on burger/commodity cost pressures (Burger King/Whopper coverage) flag margin risk for beef‑centric menu items — a potential headwind if input costs spike. McDonald’s and Burger King face whopper of a burger problem

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.1%

MCD stock opened at $326.79 on Tuesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The business’s 50 day moving average is $320.82 and its 200-day moving average is $311.61. The firm has a market cap of $232.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

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 dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Argus raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Tigress Financial boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

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.