McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co

Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co lessened its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 43.2% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,670 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,795 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $992,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 4,008.8% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 84,230 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,768,000 after buying an additional 82,180 shares during the last quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. raised its position in McDonald’s by 16.9% during the second quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. now owns 13,859 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,746,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 3,294.5% in the fourth 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 period. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.4% in the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,853,000 after acquiring an additional 16,252 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Sarl boosted its position in McDonald’s by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 64,256 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $19,639,000 after purchasing an additional 6,079 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $322.00 to $319.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.96.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 34,703 MCD call options, approximately 34% above typical volume. The activity may indicate increased bullish speculation, though options flow alone does not confirm a sustained rally.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s benefited from a modest rebound in burger stocks as traders considered whether elevated short interest could contribute to a short squeeze. Wendy’s Climbs 4%, McDonald’s Ticks Up: Is Short Interest Setting Up a Squeeze in the Burger Trade?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is bringing back Spicy McNuggets on September 1 after a two-year absence, alongside other limited-time menu items and seasonal coffee promotions. These launches could support traffic and customer engagement, although their financial impact is likely modest. McDonald’s to Bring Back Spicy McNuggets
• Positive Sentiment: A consumer survey again ranked McDonald’s fries ahead of major competitors, reinforcing the brand’s strong customer recognition. A Hello Kitty and Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may provide additional promotional appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparisons with Domino’s highlight McDonald’s global expansion, digital initiatives and customer-engagement efforts, but do not represent a new company-specific catalyst. McDonald’s vs. Domino’s: Which Stock Has Better Growth Prospects?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about a fake McDonald’s support bot promising free premium AI tools appear to be a scam warning rather than an operating or earnings development.
• Negative Sentiment: Argus lowered its McDonald’s price target to $310, signaling more limited near-term upside despite the target remaining above the current market level. Argus Lowers McDonald’s Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s slipped with other burger stocks after takeover speculation surrounding Wendy’s faded, removing a sector-wide catalyst. Separately, commentary pointing to weakening consumer conditions raises concerns about pressure on traffic and value-focused spending, though the claim is not a formal company forecast.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $265.05 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $270.67 and a 200 day moving average of $291.72. The firm has a market cap of $187.56 billion, a PE ratio of 21.53, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $259.85 and a one year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.19 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.44%.

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.