Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas Cuts Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas lowered its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 41.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 103,868 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 73,115 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s makes up approximately 2.7% of Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ holdings in McDonald’s were worth $31,564,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its position in McDonald’s by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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 sale, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 71,517 shares of company stock valued at $23,655,503. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. Mizuho boosted their target price 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. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $354.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Argus raised 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. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $338.07.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its price target to $354 and kept an “overweight” rating, implying roughly mid-single-digit upside from current levels and signaling analyst confidence in MCD’s growth and margin durability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: traders bought ~80,687 call options on Monday (up ~433% vs. average), suggesting some market participants are positioning for upside or a catalyst in the near term.
• Positive Sentiment: Menu momentum from the new Big Arch burger and other promotions is being framed by analysts as a sales uplift and valuation tailwind—investors see product extensions as supporting comparable-store sales and pricing power. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Value promotions (e.g., $1 Egg McMuffin offers) and an explicit focus on core value messaging can help traffic and comps in a cost-sensitive consumer environment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market-watchers noted MCD traded in a “buy zone” during the recent sell-off, which may attract value-oriented buyers if broader market weakness continues. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive and industry context: Taco Bell and other chains are reshaping menus and order flows; this keeps price and product innovation central to share dynamics but doesn’t change McDonald’s structural advantages. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader industry cost commentary (e.g., Dutch Bros flagging front‑loaded coffee COGS) highlights input‑cost volatility for restaurant operators; McDonald’s scale and pricing power reduce but don’t eliminate exposure. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: PR headwinds after a viral video of CEO Christopher Kempczinski awkwardly tasting the Big Arch burger generated mocking headlines and social media attention; while publicity can boost awareness, short-term sentiment could be dented by negative coverage of leadership and product reception. Article Title

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $331.68 on Wednesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The stock has a market cap of $235.63 billion, a PE ratio of 27.76, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.51. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $317.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $310.64.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.