Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. reduced its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 68,005 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,814 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $20,666,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in McDonald’s by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,423 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.0% during the third quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 1,771 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $538,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Alaethes Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% during the first quarter. Alaethes Wealth LLC now owns 1,219 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $381,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management increased its position in McDonald’s by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 3,604 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,053,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,112 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $325,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of MCD opened at $308.54 on Tuesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $276.53 and a twelve month high of $326.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $219.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.33, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $308.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $304.14.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.23 EPS. Analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $1.86 dividend. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. 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: New / limited‑time menu and marketing activations could boost traffic and AUVs in the near term — McDonald’s has relaunched a beefier Big Mac variation that typically drives incremental visits. McDonald’s brings back ‘Big Mac on steroids’ burger
• Positive Sentiment: Brand collaborations aimed at kids and families (Crayola Happy Meals) can lift traffic and frequency during promotional windows and help value perception. Crayola and McDonald’s Teaming up for Otherworldly New Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Nostalgia and PR pieces (e.g., origin story of the fried apple pie, celebrity gold cards) help brand equity but are unlikely to move revenue or margins meaningfully. The Original McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie Recipe Came From This Southern Family’s Kitchen
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/consumer info (holiday hours, how‑to pieces, retrospectives on breakfast buffets) are background items for customers but don’t change investment theses. Will McDonald’s be open on New Year’s Day? Fast-food chain timings and more explored
• Neutral Sentiment: Product features and employee‑style pieces (e.g., McNuggets employee tips) are engagement/PR content with limited investor impact. How to enjoy McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, employee-style
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage outlining “4 big changes” coming in 2026 — including pricing shifts — raises investor concern that higher menu prices or structural changes could pressure traffic or require tradeoffs between market share and margins. Investors view such signals cautiously given recent demand sensitivity. The 4 big changes coming to McDonald’s in 2026 — and how they’ll impact prices
• Negative Sentiment: Industry analysis (QSR) highlights McDonald’s need to “reestablish value,” implying recent weakness in comps and a potential near‑term pullback in traffic until value perception is restored — a near‑term risk to same‑store sales and consensus estimates. McDonald’s in 2025: A Race to Reestablish Value, and Some Grinch Magic

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Mizuho upgraded McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $325.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $324.57.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 13,134 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.42, for a total value of $3,945,716.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,383,734.52. The trade was a 74.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 42,516 shares of company stock worth $13,036,090. Corporate 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.