McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock Holdings Boosted by Capital Wealth Planning LLC

Capital Wealth Planning LLC increased its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 9.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,762,285 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 152,211 shares during the period. McDonald’s makes up 3.8% of Capital Wealth Planning LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Capital Wealth Planning LLC owned approximately 0.25% of McDonald’s worth $535,541,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in McDonald’s by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,647,669 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $21,773,010,000 after purchasing an additional 316,638 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,175,800,000 after buying an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Finally, Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,412,069,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $326.41 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $231.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.31, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.51. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $320.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $311.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on MCD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $340.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. 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 note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Argus raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $339.69.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.34, for a total transaction of $862,220.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,867,393.22. The trade was a 23.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 74,143 shares of company stock valued at $24,517,724 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target to $385 and reiterated a Buy, citing McDonald’s multi‑year growth strategy and brand strength — a clear analyst endorsement that supports upside to the stock. Tigress Financial Upgrades McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Price Target, Highlights Multi-Year Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Value menu push: McDonald’s is rolling out $3 value items and $4 breakfast deals in the U.S. starting in April to win back price‑sensitive customers — a traffic‑driving move that could boost visit frequency if franchisees and consumers adopt it. McDonald’s to launch new $3 value items in US starting April, WSJ reports
• Positive Sentiment: Digital/loyalty tailwinds: Management cites a large loyalty base and digital tools as drivers for higher visit frequency and better targeted promotions — structural levers for revenue per user and margin expansion over time. Can MCD’s Digital Ecosystem Turn Loyalty Into Higher Visit Frequency?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and product noise: Viral moments (CEO burger video → memes) and new product reviews (e.g., Big Arch) keep brand relevance and social buzz high but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. How McDonald’s CEO’s viral burger video turned memes into money
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu coverage / consumer perception: Media attention on affordability and menu mix helps narrative but the actual impact depends on execution and unit economics. McDonald’s Plans New $3 Menu, in Latest Bid to Win Customers With Better Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executive Joseph Erlinger disclosed a sale of 2,626 shares (~$862k). While routine insider sales aren’t always predictive, they can be interpreted as a mild negative signal by some investors. Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term dampener: Analysts and commentary note the stock is down since earnings (some profit‑taking and valuation debates persist), which can cap near‑term upside until fresh evidence of traffic/margin improvement appears. Why Is McDonald’s (MCD) Down 2.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

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.