Insider Selling: McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CEO Sells 26,276 Shares of Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total value of $8,764,097.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,638,066. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD stock traded down $0.02 on Tuesday, hitting $327.56. 3,367,122 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,291,308. The company’s fifty day moving average is $313.72 and its 200 day moving average is $308.70. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $335.67. The company has a market capitalization of $233.27 billion, a PE ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during 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%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup increased their price target on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target 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. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $337.04.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp increased its stake in McDonald’s by 95.7% in the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 outperformance and a clear value strategy. Recent coverage highlights MCD’s Q4 beat, double-digit active app engagement and a permanent “McValue” push that helped U.S. comps grow ~6.8% — a key reason investors see low downside and continued share gains. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 menu rollout tied to sales rebound. McDonald’s unveiled its 2026 menu and promotional plan, which management ties directly to the sales rebound and traffic recovery — a near-term revenue catalyst. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and limited-time items returning. The Shamrock Shake and other beloved seasonal items are back nationwide — recurring LTOs that reliably boost traffic and spend. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New product and brand engagement initiatives. McDonald’s is debuting new items (Big Arch burger) and launching branded collectibles/trading cards to drive visits and social buzz. These low-cost marketing plays can increase frequency among younger cohorts. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation to address diet trends. McDonald’s is testing higher‑protein menu options in response to GLP‑1‑driven consumer changes — a proactive product response that could protect traffic if tastes shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and history pieces with limited near-term impact. Several features (drive‑thru origin, nostalgia pieces) bolster brand perception but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.

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.