Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Has $68.82 Million Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. grew its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 16.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 226,476 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 31,649 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $68,824,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,647,669 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $21,773,010,000 after purchasing an additional 316,638 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in McDonald’s by 0.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,175,800,000 after buying an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Finally, Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,412,069,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays raised their price target on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen 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. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $339.69.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total transaction of $8,706,883.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,587,915. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 74,143 shares of company stock valued at $24,517,724 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE:MCD opened at $326.41 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $320.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $311.51. The stock has a market cap of $231.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.31, a PEG ratio of 2.90 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 issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target to $385 and reiterated a Buy, citing McDonald’s multi‑year growth strategy and brand strength — a clear analyst endorsement that supports upside to the stock. Tigress Financial Upgrades McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Price Target, Highlights Multi-Year Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Value menu push: McDonald’s is rolling out $3 value items and $4 breakfast deals in the U.S. starting in April to win back price‑sensitive customers — a traffic‑driving move that could boost visit frequency if franchisees and consumers adopt it. McDonald’s to launch new $3 value items in US starting April, WSJ reports
• Positive Sentiment: Digital/loyalty tailwinds: Management cites a large loyalty base and digital tools as drivers for higher visit frequency and better targeted promotions — structural levers for revenue per user and margin expansion over time. Can MCD’s Digital Ecosystem Turn Loyalty Into Higher Visit Frequency?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and product noise: Viral moments (CEO burger video → memes) and new product reviews (e.g., Big Arch) keep brand relevance and social buzz high but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. How McDonald’s CEO’s viral burger video turned memes into money
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu coverage / consumer perception: Media attention on affordability and menu mix helps narrative but the actual impact depends on execution and unit economics. McDonald’s Plans New $3 Menu, in Latest Bid to Win Customers With Better Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executive Joseph Erlinger disclosed a sale of 2,626 shares (~$862k). While routine insider sales aren’t always predictive, they can be interpreted as a mild negative signal by some investors. Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term dampener: Analysts and commentary note the stock is down since earnings (some profit‑taking and valuation debates persist), which can cap near‑term upside until fresh evidence of traffic/margin improvement appears. Why Is McDonald’s (MCD) Down 2.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

McDonald’s Company 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.