FORM Wealth Advisors LLC Takes $1.21 Million Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

FORM Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 3,969 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $1,213,000. McDonald’s accounts for approximately 0.1% of FORM Wealth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Park Place Capital Corp increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Painted Porch Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 735.7% in the third quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: New value menu (under $3 deals and $4 bundles) is intended to drive traffic and win back price‑sensitive diners; Wall Street notes the move could reinforce McDonald’s value positioning. McDonald’s Reworks Its Value Menu With $3 Deals. Wall Street Is Watching.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at some firms (e.g., UBS cited in coverage) view the $3 menu as a strategic strength that can sustain visit frequency and compete on value. MarketWatch: McDonald’s $3 menu is about to kick off.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are positioned for the upcoming Q1 earnings release; consensus expects single‑digit EPS growth but the report will be key for same‑store sales and margin guidance. What You Need to Know Ahead of McDonald’s Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains roughly in the “hold/neutral” range, reflecting mixed views on near‑term headwinds versus long‑term brand strength. McDonald’s Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed first‑quarter same‑store sales estimates (down ~50 bps for U.S. and international operated markets) and flagged softer March demand, predicting Q1 profit may come in slightly below Street estimates. McDonald’s Q1 profit seen slightly below estimates as Jefferies trims sales outlook
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc trimmed its price target (from $354 to $345) and Morgan Stanley nudged its target lower while assigning an “equal weight,” signaling some analyst caution despite still‑positive longer‑term views. KeyBanc Cuts McDonald’s Target to $345, Flags Volatile Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes warn of diminishing returns from heavy promotions, possible margin compression as McDonald’s leans into cheaper items, and rising input/labor costs — a combination that could pressure near‑term profitability. Under $3 Deals and $4 Bundles: McDonald’s Doubles Down on Value to Win Back Diners
• Negative Sentiment: Operational changes (removal of several menu items) and broader consumer‑spending caution (Goldman Sachs warns of a challenging few months) add to execution and demand risk. McDonald’s just axed 5 menu items without warning

McDonald’s Stock Performance

MCD opened at $301.55 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $318.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $311.95. The company has a market cap of $214.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.83 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 13.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Tigress Financial lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $334.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.34.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total transaction of $8,764,097.04. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,638,066. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $763,567.39. The trade was a 73.02% 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 71,657 shares of company stock valued at $23,723,307 in the last three months. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.