Russell Investments Group Ltd. Grows Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 18.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 458,051 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 70,514 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $139,135,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 84.1% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $41,422,000 after acquiring an additional 64,757 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 236.7% in the 3rd quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,571 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $43,606,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $17,096,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the third quarter valued at about $1,120,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD opened at $331.03 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $318.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $311.15. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $235.17 billion, a PE ratio of 27.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.83 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $763,567.39. This trade represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 71,517 shares of company stock worth $23,655,503 in the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product momentum — McDonald’s Big Arch burger is being heavily promoted (CEO appearances, social campaigns such as “First Job Confessional”) and is generating strong online buzz that can lift traffic and brand engagement. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Tests Brand Power And Rich Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — At least one outlet reports a raised price target to $385, signaling increased analyst confidence in MCD’s outlook and valuation support. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $385.00
• Positive Sentiment: Viral CEO marketing — A widely viewed video of McDonald’s CEO sampling the new product has driven free publicity and conversations that amplify the Big Arch campaign. Increased organic attention can translate into short-term traffic gains. Viral video of McDonald’s CEO eating new ‘product’ draws response from Columbus Metropolitan Library
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing variability — A study shows Big Arch prices vary widely across U.S. markets; this affects local comps and customer perception but is not a company-wide earnings surprise. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Prices Swing Wildly Across U.S., New Study Shows
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing product initiatives — New Happy Meal offerings and Filet‑O‑Fish tips/PR continue to support menu innovation and value perception, which can aid transaction growth over time. McDonald’s announces new happy meal
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and reputational noise — Rival chains (notably Burger King) and their agencies have produced social jabs that highlight brand rivalry; while largely promotional theatre, sustained negative narratives can dent sentiment. Burger King names 2 new agencies following viral Whopper bite moment
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/logistics risk — Analysis flags meaningful exposure to very high oil prices (fuel for delivery/drive‑thru, packaging, logistics) that could suppress demand or raise operating risk if energy spikes materially. McDonald’s Real Risk From $150 Oil Has Nothing to Do With Costs

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. Argus upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $339.69.

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.