Joseph Erlinger Sells 333 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.11, for a total transaction of $93,276.63. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,166,370.74. This represents a 4.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of MCD opened at $277.91 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $197.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.43. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $271.98 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The company has a 50 day moving average of $296.06 and a 200-day moving average of $308.77.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.67 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allen Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 15.9% during the first quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 3,567 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,109,000 after buying an additional 489 shares in the last quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 14.3% during the first quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $414,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the first quarter worth $155,000. Summitry LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.5% during the first quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 25,677 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $7,980,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WNY Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the first quarter worth $1,548,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out fresh promotions, including a 2026 FIFA World Cup Happy Meal, Squishmallows tie-ins, and regional beverage offerings such as refreshers and dirty sodas, which could help drive customer traffic and keep the brand highly visible. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remains generally constructive, with analyst coverage still reflecting a moderate buy outlook and price targets above the current share price, suggesting some investors see the stock as undervalued. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to benefit from its strong brand moat and recurring franchise-driven cash flow, which supports earnings resilience even in a tougher consumer backdrop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: An insider sale by Joseph M. Erlinger of 333 shares was disclosed, but the transaction was small and does not by itself signal a major shift in the company’s outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Viral social media interest in a McDonald’s nugget “hack” may help brand buzz, but it is unlikely to materially change fundamentals on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s said it cannot meet its 2030 emissions targets and also missed a packaging goal, which could create ESG-related pressure and weigh on sentiment. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Cfra raised McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $305.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Tigress Financial increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $306.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.45.

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.