McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CMO Sells $1,553,052.00 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of MCD traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $327.56. The company had a trading volume of 3,367,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,291,308. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $335.67. The stock has a market cap of $233.27 billion, a PE ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $313.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $308.70.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly 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. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on MCD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth about $1,412,069,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after buying an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $913,157,000 after buying an additional 1,974,998 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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.

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.