Rathbones Group PLC Has $107.32 Million Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Rathbones Group PLC grew its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 16.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 353,145 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,011 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $107,317,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $41,422,000 after acquiring an additional 64,757 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 236.7% in the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,571 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $43,606,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.7% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $17,096,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $1,120,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target on MCD to $385 and kept a “buy” rating, implying roughly 17% upside from the current price — a direct bullish signal from an analyst that can drive buying interest. Street Insider: PT Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Capgemini extended its technology partnership with McDonald’s for five years to modernize restaurants and accelerate digital features — supports efficiency, digital sales growth and execution of the “Accelerating the Arches” strategy. Capgemini partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion plan: analyst coverage (Zacks) highlights MCD’s target of ~50,000 restaurants by 2027 with 2,600 openings planned for 2026 — accelerates unit-driven revenue potential and global footprint growth. Zacks: 50K restaurant target
• Positive Sentiment: Brand & merchandising lift: Crocs x Happy Meal collaboration and revived Happy Meal partnerships drive PR and collectible demand that can boost traffic and AUVs in limited windows. Crocs Happy Meal collab
• Neutral Sentiment: Local development: planning for a third McDonald’s in Collierville, TN — incremental local growth but immaterial to companywide fundamentals. Collierville restaurant plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend narratives continue to feature MCD among reliable payers — supports longer‑term investor interest but is not an immediate price catalyst. Dividend stocks article
• Negative Sentiment: Product/PR risk from Big Arch launch — the nationwide rollout and a viral 13‑second CEO taste‑test video produced heavy attention but mixed consumer reviews and social backlash; competitors (Burger King, Wendy’s) have publicly trolled the clip. That creates short‑term reputational noise and raises the risk that the premium product may not sustain lift if consumer reception or value perception proves weak. Big Arch coverage

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 71,517 shares of company stock worth $23,655,503 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of several recent research reports. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $328.22 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $318.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $311.04. The company has a market capitalization of $233.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 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.