Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD – Free Report) by 12.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 219,241 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,508 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $68,138,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after purchasing an additional 703,458 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in McDonald’s by 2.7% in the 4th 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 last quarter. 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 buying an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,895,768,000 after buying an additional 277,617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $2,890,438,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s
In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 8,681 shares of company stock worth $2,456,440 over the last ninety days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
McDonald’s Trading Down 0.7%
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.67 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current year.
McDonald’s Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 61.34%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
MCD has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $355.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $334.96.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on McDonald’s
Key McDonald’s News
Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:
- Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is leaning on event-driven marketing, including a 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign and a new BT21 Happy Meal launch, to boost engagement, traffic, and family visits. These kinds of promotions can support near-term same-store sales. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: The company is also offering limited-time freebies and value deals, such as free fries for National French Fry Day, which may help bring customers in and reinforce McDonald’s value positioning. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and entertainment stories, including the retro vinyl ad campaign and Happy Meal toy coverage, add brand buzz but are unlikely to materially change earnings expectations on their own. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and market commentary remains mixed, with some articles highlighting McDonald’s as a beaten-down consumer name and others noting its stock weakness versus the broader market, suggesting sentiment is cautious rather than decisively negative. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank said McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales likely hit a new low in the second quarter, reinforcing concerns that core domestic demand may be weakening and pressuring the stock. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Broader commentary also points to a challenging fast-food environment and rising macro risks, including higher oil prices, which could squeeze margins and weigh on investor confidence. Article Title
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.
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