Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Acquires 67,519 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1,351.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 72,516 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 67,519 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $22,037,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AA Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 5.2% during the third quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,872 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,177,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 5.2% in the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,441 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,781,000 after acquiring an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 98.8% during the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 4,470 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,358,000 after acquiring an additional 2,221 shares during the period. Edge Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Edge Wealth Management LLC now owns 24,261 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $7,373,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DLK Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC now owns 16,332 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,963,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the subject of several research reports. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Monday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $324.57.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $315.85 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $307.19 and a 200-day moving average of $303.81. The stock has a market cap of $224.93 billion, a PE ratio of 26.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $276.53 and a fifty-two week high of $326.32.

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

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.48%.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s raised its quarterly dividend to $1.86 (annualized $7.44), signaling continued free‑cash‑flow strength and supporting the stock’s income appeal. (Dividend disclosure appeared in recent MarketBeat reporting.)
• Positive Sentiment: Holiday marketing is driving strong attention — the Grinch Meal promotion generated broad press and consumer buzz, which can boost seasonal traffic and brand engagement. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s revived its digital MONOPOLY promotion to push app downloads, reinforce value messaging and support U.S. traffic for Q4 — a digital-first campaign that can improve repeat visits and AUVs. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and institutional activity remains mixed: several analysts reaffirm or tweak targets around the low‑to‑mid $300s, and institutional holdings changed modestly — supports a “hold” consensus but not a clear re‑rating catalyst. (Coverage summarized in recent market reports.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Political/insider transaction news: a report noted Representative Julie Johnson sold shares of McDonald’s; such public selling can draw short‑term attention but doesn’t change fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Desiree Ralls‑Morrison sold 2,486 shares (~$795k at $320) and reduced her holdings ~28% — insider selling can be perceived negatively by investors, especially when clustered with other sales. SEC filing: Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational hit: McDonald’s pulled an AI Christmas ad after backlash in some markets, which generated negative headlines and potential short‑term brand distraction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader industry pressure: analysts note U.S. restaurants face softer demand, higher value sensitivity and cost pressures — a tougher consumer backdrop could cap same‑store sales and margin upside. Read More.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total transaction of $977,094.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock worth $13,036,090 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

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.