Sawgrass Asset Management LLC Sells 5,277 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Sawgrass Asset Management LLC decreased its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 17.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,453 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 5,277 shares during the quarter. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $7,735,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in McDonald’s by 1.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,331,031 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $20,840,787,000 after purchasing an additional 921,936 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,175,800,000 after buying an additional 272,139 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,901,595,000 after buying an additional 276,065 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonald’s 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 owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product push — McDonald’s is launching a limited‑time Hot Honey sauce and new protein‑focused sandwiches (promoted to start Jan. 27), a menu strategy meant to drive traffic and boost average check. McDonald’s bets big on hot honey and protein to bring customers
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive store growth target — McDonald’s reiterated plans to open ~8,000 restaurants by end‑2027, a scale play that supports revenue growth and franchise development. McDonald’s Plans to Open 8,000 Restaurants by End of 2027 and Shake Up Menu
• Positive Sentiment: Strong shareholder returns profile — a recent analysis highlights ~$79 billion returned to shareholders over the past decade via buybacks and dividends, underscoring cash flow strength and support for the stock. How McDonald’s Returned $79 Billion To Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu localization and novelty — McDonald’s is bringing overseas fan favorites and occasional region‑specific items (beer in Europe) to generate buzz; good for marketing but limited duration impact. McDonald’s finally brings overseas fan favorites to US in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive mentions in market‑crash thinking pieces — some outlets list MCD as a defensive/quality pick in volatile markets, which can support demand from risk‑averse investors. Worried About a Market Crash in 2026? Buy These 3 Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing‑war risk — analysts flag an elevated risk of a fast‑food pricing war that could compress margins and offset traffic gains from promotions. McDonald’s: The Risk Of A Fast-Food Pricing War Is Increasing Significantly
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash on loyalty changes — reports of unhappy customers over loyalty program changes could dampen repeat visits in affected markets. McDonald’s customers unhappy about loyalty scheme changes
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings watch — MCD previously missed quarterly EPS estimates (Nov. 5), so new initiatives will be judged on whether they restore margin and beat future estimates. (Earnings details in recent filings and analyst notes.)

McDonald’s Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $309.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $220.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $283.28 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The business’s 50 day moving average is $308.87 and its 200 day moving average is $305.93.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.23 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MCD shares. KeyCorp upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. BTIG Research reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s 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.