Rathbones Group PLC Trims Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 4th, 2026

Rathbones Group PLC lowered its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD – Free Report) by 3.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 70,360 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,883 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $21,867,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Farmers National Bank boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 29,724 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $9,238,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. Wealthquest Corp lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 7.2% during the first quarter. Wealthquest Corp now owns 3,245 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,009,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Stillwater Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the first quarter worth about $668,000. DV Trading LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 150.0% in the first quarter. DV Trading LLC now owns 800 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 5.5% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 17,240 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,358,000 after buying an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Cfra raised shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $375.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.92.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MCD

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.7%

MCD opened at $266.02 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $274.55 and its 200-day moving average is $297.32. The stock has a market cap of $189.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $260.96 and a twelve month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 442.10% and a net margin of 31.62%.The business had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.67 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This trade represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 8,348 shares of company stock worth $2,355,634 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s second-quarter results could benefit from its new $3 menu, promotional initiatives and potential traffic tied to the World Cup. Investors will look for evidence that value offerings are increasing visits without materially damaging margins. McDonald’s Q2 Preview: World Cup, New $3 Menu, Higher Gas Prices – Which Theme Wins Out
Neutral Sentiment: Options traders expect a substantial move following earnings, with some anticipating a potential new two-year low. The report and management’s outlook are likely to drive near-term volatility, particularly around U.S. comparable sales, international performance and franchisee margins. Here’s How Much McDonald’s Stock Is Expected to Move After Earnings
Negative Sentiment: Budget-conscious consumers remain under financial pressure, raising concern that customers may trade down, reduce restaurant visits or limit discretionary purchases. This makes the performance of McDonald’s value strategy especially important in the earnings release. McDonald’s to Report Q2 Earnings as Budget-Conscious Consumers Remain Under Stress
Negative Sentiment: Reports about lettuce-related illness and consumer safety concerns could weigh on restaurant traffic and brand sentiment, although the earnings reports will provide the clearest indication of whether such issues affected McDonald’s demand. Did Lettuce Illness Hurt Restaurants? These Reports Will Tell If Diners Feel Safe
Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its McDonald’s price target to $290, signaling reduced expectations even though the new target remains above recent trading levels. Mizuho Cuts McDonald’s Price Target to $290

McDonald’s Profile

(Free Report)

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.