McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Insider Sells $110,033.19 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $330.43, for a total transaction of $110,033.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at $2,885,645.19. This trade represents a 3.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of MCD opened at $340.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $242.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $316.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $310.19.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued 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 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 analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.83 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Street support: JPMorgan raised its price target to $325 and remains constructive, giving buy‑side validation and likely contributing to bullish flows. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Promotions and LTOs driving traffic: The U.S. rollout of the “Big Arch” supersized burger and national $1 McMuffin promotions are generating buzz and should lift short‑term visits and digital engagement, supporting revenue and comp trends. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Loyalty and digital momentum: Coverage highlights McDonald’s rewards and app-driven promotions are improving visit frequency and ticket, a structural tailwind for margins and recurring sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend income visibility: Management confirmed a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex‑div March 3, payable March 17), supporting demand from income‑oriented investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst estimate moves from Zacks: Zacks updated numerous quarterly and FY2027/28 EPS estimates — lifting some full‑year/quarter forecasts while trimming others. The net effect is ambiguous for near‑term sentiment but shows analysts are actively re‑modeling. (Zacks coverage also discusses value strategy sustaining traffic.) Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Product novelty tests: International menu items and limited‑time offers can boost visits but their incremental margin impact is uncertain; useful for short‑term traffic but not a proven long‑term earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executives disclosed sales (including a recent sale by Joe Erlinger), which can spook some investors even if part of routine diversification. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regional ad controversy: A Ramadan ad in Germany showing empty boxes drew criticism — a reputational headline that may pressure local sentiment but is unlikely to materially affect global fundamentals. Article Title

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in McDonald’s by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,112,675,000 after acquiring an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,997,789,000 after purchasing an additional 959,140 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,195,965,000 after purchasing an additional 76,090 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,895,768,000 after purchasing an additional 277,617 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on MCD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $340.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $337.57.

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.