McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Purchased by Sciencast Management LP

Sciencast Management LP boosted its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 287.7% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 14,654 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,874 shares during the period. Sciencast Management LP’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,961,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Peterson Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 3,294.5% during the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 11,779 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,600,000 after acquiring an additional 11,432 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 84.4% in the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,853,000 after acquiring an additional 16,252 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Sarl boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 64,256 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $19,639,000 after acquiring an additional 6,079 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,493,000. Finally, Pittenger & Anderson Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 21.9% in the fourth quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 21,487 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 3,866 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Freedom Capital raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $322.00 to $319.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Tigress Financial increased their target price on McDonald’s from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.44.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $272.61 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $260.96 and a one year high of $341.75. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $273.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $295.28.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The company had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,348 shares of company stock valued at $2,355,634. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is emphasizing lower-priced meals to win back cost-conscious customers, a potentially supportive strategy as consumers increasingly prioritize value. McDonald’s is betting on cheaper meals to win back customers
• Positive Sentiment: New growth initiatives include Red Bull energy drinks, additional beverages and limited-time menu items. These products could increase traffic and average spending while supporting a simpler restaurant operating model. McDonald’s bringing Red Bull drinks and new sodas to US customers
• Positive Sentiment: The Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may generate customer interest and family traffic when it launches, although its financial impact is likely limited. McDonald’s Announces Eight Hello Kitty x Godzilla Toys
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings showed adjusted EPS of $3.38, above expectations, while revenue of $7.10 billion was slightly below consensus. Management acknowledged inconsistent value-menu execution and excessive operational complexity, making successful implementation of the turnaround strategy critical. Five Insightful Analyst Questions From McDonald’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s is reportedly losing ground to Burger King and other low-cost alternatives, including gas-station food, as customers seek cheaper meals. Slowing second-quarter sales growth raises concerns about U.S. traffic and market share. The burger wars are heating up as McDonald’s loses ground
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast, adding to investor concerns about earnings growth. McDonald’s FY2027 EPS Forecast Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that McDonald’s maintained a 515-page customer dossier could create privacy and reputational risks, though the immediate financial effect is unclear. McDonald’s customer dossier report

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.