Savvy Advisors Inc. Boosts Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Savvy Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 15,325 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,580 shares during the quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $4,657,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in 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 worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP raised its position in McDonald’s by 171.7% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $913,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,998 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 96.0% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,188,147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,751 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 34,634 shares of company stock valued at $10,749,559. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $323.33 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $312.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $307.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $230.26 billion, a PE ratio of 27.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $283.47 and a 52 week high of $328.06.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.48%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday. BTIG Research boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $332.77.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue up ~9.7% YoY; EPS beat consensus), driven by rising comparable sales and traffic tied to value offers. This is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Value strategy and loyalty gains — Management says Extra Value Meals and promotions pulled back budget-conscious customers; systemwide loyalty sales rose ~20% and 90‑day active users climbed to ~210M, underpinning sustainable traffic and digital sales growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backdrop supportive — Multiple firms have buy/overweight ratings and recent price targets generally sit above the current share level, giving analysts a lift to investor confidence after the results. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Menu innovation to address trends — McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu items to appeal to consumers using GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, a potential revenue hedge if eating habits shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing buzz — Limited-time stunts (e.g., McNugget “caviar” kits) sold out quickly and drove media attention and short‑term traffic, but are unlikely to be a sustained earnings driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth roadmap commentary — Coverage (podcasts/analysis) highlights management’s push toward a larger store base (discussion of a 50k footprint) — strategic upside but long‑dated. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee friction — Some franchisees resist centralized pricing/value moves, which could complicate uniform execution and limit margin upside if disputes persist. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A senior U.S. executive disclosed the sale of ~2,626 shares (~$854K), which may be interpreted as profit-taking and can damp investor sentiment after the earnings pop. 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.