Rathbones Group PLC Has $22.39 Million Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Rathbones Group PLC trimmed its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 79.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 73,243 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 279,902 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $22,385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Leo Wealth LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Leo Wealth LLC now owns 28,995 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $8,862,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the period. Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 16.8% during the fourth quarter. Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,066 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $326,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,934 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $591,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. SC&H Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 22.2% during the fourth quarter. SC&H Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 2,312 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $707,000 after purchasing an additional 420 shares during the period. Finally, Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,959 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,516,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reintroduces a true value push — new menu items priced under $3 and meals starting at $5 should help drive customer traffic and comps, supporting near-term sales growth. McDonald’s is bringing back true value
• Positive Sentiment: Local rollout of the simplified “McValue” menu aims to streamline offers and make pricing clearer — a simpler value tier can improve mix, speed of service and marketing efficiency. McDonald’s tries a simpler approach with its new McValue menu
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing marketing and promotions (e.g., K-pop Demon Hunters cards) continue to engage younger audiences and create short-term revenue uplifts from collectables and limited-time offers. McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters cards
• Neutral Sentiment: Country-level marketing: McDonald’s Türkiye launched a “Drink & Drive” safety-themed campaign that refreshes brand relevance during travel seasons — supportive for brand but limited immediate financial impact. McDonald’s Türkiye Launches Campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/PR pieces (e.g., explanations of leftover food handling and fry-oil change frequency) keep consumer trust focused on safety and sustainability — reputationally helpful but unlikely to move earnings materially. Here’s What Happens To McDonald’s Leftover Food
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces about nostalgic assets (PlayPlaces) and menu hacks (Filet‑O‑Fish tips) generate consumer interest and social engagement but have limited near-term financial impact. McDonald’s PlayPlaces Were So Popular
• Negative Sentiment: Rising beef prices are prompting McDonald’s to shift menu emphasis toward chicken — this reflects margin pressure from tighter cattle supply and could compress profits unless offset by price or mix improvements. McDonald’s makes a big menu shift as beef prices rise
• Negative Sentiment: Investor comparisons and stock-pitch coverage (e.g., Motley Fool pieces comparing McDonald’s vs. Domino’s) can drive short-term trading volatility depending on which firm analysts favor. These narratives can amplify moves even if fundamentals remain steady. McDonald’s or Domino’s: One of These Is a Screaming Buy Right Now

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on MCD shares. Argus raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.69.

Insider Activity

In other McDonald’s news, CEO Christopher J. 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 value of $8,706,883.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,587,915. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were 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 owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This trade represents 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 valued at $23,722,204 in the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE MCD opened at $307.17 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $321.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $311.61. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $218.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

About McDonald’s

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.