PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Acquires 89,325 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,682,093 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 89,325 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $815,061,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in McDonald’s by 1.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,331,031 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $20,840,787,000 after purchasing an additional 921,936 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% in 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 period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,901,595,000 after buying an additional 276,065 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays increased their price target on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Argus upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE:MCD opened at $327.58 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $313.02 and its 200 day moving average is $308.30. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The company has a market capitalization of $233.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and momentum — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue ~ $7.0B, EPS beat, systemwide comps up ~5.7% with U.S. comps ~6.8%) and cited loyalty growth that helped drive sales and margins; this is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Several firms raised ratings/targets (Argus upgraded to Buy with a $380 target; Truist/BTIG raised targets toward ~$370), which can support further upside as sentiment shifts. Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback/dividend tailwind — Coverage notes that strong cash flow from Q4 and a healthy dividend yield support continued buybacks and payouts, a structural catalyst for EPS per-share gains over time. Buybacks & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions/brand buzz — Seasonal items and PR stunts (Shamrock Shake, McNugget kits) are driving traffic and media attention; helpful for short-term comps but likely temporary. Promotions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A disclosed sale by a senior U.S. executive (Form 4) may have added to near-term selling pressure as some investors lock in gains after the earnings pop. Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution risk — Reports of tension between corporate pricing/value pushes and some franchisees could complicate uniform execution and margins across markets, a potential headwind if disputes persist. Franchisee Tensions

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This trade represents a 58.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at $8,169,430. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 31,439 shares of company stock worth $9,772,464 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.