Machina Capital S.A.S. Purchases 1,748 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Machina Capital S.A.S. lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 12.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,956 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,748 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s accounts for 0.9% of Machina Capital S.A.S.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Machina Capital S.A.S.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $4,849,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,331,031 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $20,840,787,000 after purchasing an additional 921,936 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in McDonald’s by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,175,800,000 after purchasing an additional 272,139 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,901,595,000 after buying an additional 276,065 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total transaction of $977,094.90. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares in the company, valued at $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 32,008 shares of company stock worth $9,895,452. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG upgraded MCD from Neutral to Buy and set a $360 price target after discussions with franchisees — a direct driver of improved investor sentiment and a potential catalyst for multiple buy-side re-ratings. BTIG upgrade report
• Positive Sentiment: Limited-edition McNugget® Caviar kits (partnership with Paramount Caviar) will be distributed for free online on Feb. 10 — a high-profile, low-cost promotion likely to boost traffic, social engagement and short-term same-store sales. McNugget Caviar PR
• Positive Sentiment: New product rollouts and promotions — including a Friends-themed Happy Meal with collectible toys and broader 2026 menu changes (new sauces, Happy Meals, seasonal returns) — reinforce McDonald’s ability to drive traffic and mix improvement. These campaigns support both top-line momentum and brand relevance. Friends Happy Meal launch
• Positive Sentiment: QSR profile highlights creative leadership credited with powering McDonald’s growth — qualitative evidence that management/marketing execution is being recognized by industry press, which can sustain investor confidence in long-term comp trends. QSR Magazine profile
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s released final rosters for the 49th McDonald’s All American Games — a brand/CSR marketing event that helps long-term brand affinity but has limited immediate financial impact. All American Games rosters
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary pieces summarize why MCD outpaced the market today — useful context for short-term moves but largely descriptive of the items above (upgrade + promotions). Zacks market note
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle pieces (Shamrock Shake seasonal return, Coke taste story, broader menu reporting) keep consumer interest high but are unlikely to move fundamentals on their own. Shamrock Shake return

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $319.73 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $227.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.28, a P/E/G ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $326.32. The business’s 50 day moving average is $310.21 and its 200-day moving average is $306.81.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on MCD. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. BTIG Research raised McDonald’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $360.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $372.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $331.37.

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.