Legacy Trust Acquires 2,978 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Legacy Trust increased its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 186.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,578 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,978 shares during the quarter. Legacy Trust’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,391,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the first quarter worth approximately $368,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 24.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 173,782 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $53,483,000 after buying an additional 34,319 shares during the period. Finally, Nova Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays published a bullish forecast for MCD, signaling strong expected price appreciation and supporting upside vs. peers. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an overweight rating, suggesting confidence in growth/strategy that can support longer-term multiple expansion. Sanford C. Bernstein Overweight (coverage roundup)
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” with a $320 target — implies limited near-term catalyst but indicates room for modest upside from current levels. TD Cowen Hold Rating Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s announced new and returning global menu items for 2026 — potential to boost customer traffic and average check if launches resonate. McDonald’s to Launch New and Returning Menu Items Worldwide in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Company says it’s changing its drive-thrus (operational update) — could improve throughput/experience but is execution-dependent. McDonald’s Is Changing Its Drive-Thrus
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report a new lawsuit alleging McDonald’s “deceived” customers about McRib ingredients — this raises near-term PR/legal risk and could pressure sales of a promoted product. McDonald’s is facing serious allegations about the McRib McDonald’s Faces Lawsuit Claiming It ‘Deceived’ Customers About the McRib
• Negative Sentiment: Unions have accused McDonald’s of repeated harassment of mostly teenage staff — intensifies labor/PR scrutiny that can lead to fines, protests, or higher labor costs if issues persist. Unions accuse McDonald’s of ‘repeated harassment’ against ‘mostly teenage’ staff
• Neutral Sentiment: Local openings (e.g., Biltmore grand opening) signal continued unit activity but have limited immediate impact on the stock. Biltmore McDonald’s celebrates grand opening

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total value of $977,094.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares in the company, valued at $1,861,832.16. This trade represents a 34.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock worth $13,036,090 in the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on McDonald’s from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 31st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $307.27 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $276.53 and a 1 year high of $326.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $307.93 and a 200 day moving average of $304.88. The company has a market cap of $218.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.22, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 63.48%.

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.