Advisors Asset Management Inc. Trims Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Advisors Asset Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 5.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 36,324 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,978 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $11,038,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in 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 holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 valued at $4,901,595,000 after buying an additional 276,065 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in 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 worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $323.33 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $230.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $312.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $307.90. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $328.06.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.83 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.48%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,133. The trade was a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at $1,755,699.50. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 34,634 shares of company stock valued at $10,749,559 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results: revenue rose ~9.7% YoY and EPS topped consensus, driven by broad comparable-sales gains. That print is the primary bullish catalyst for the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Value strategy is working — Management said Extra Value Meals and promotions are bringing back budget-conscious customers, producing the fastest comparable-sales growth in over two years and lifting loyalty metrics (systemwide loyalty sales +20%, ~210M 90‑day active users). This supports revenue momentum and margin leverage. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment and targets skew positive — Multiple firms hold buy/overweight ratings and recent price targets cluster above the current share level (median ~$342.50), which can underpin investor confidence after the beat. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/pop-culture buzz — Limited promotions (McNugget “caviar” kits, Shamrock Shake seasonality) generated strong consumer and media attention; positive for brand and traffic but likely short-duration as a direct earnings lever. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee tensions — Reports say some franchisees resist centralized pricing and value initiatives; ongoing friction could complicate consistent execution or margins across markets. That risk may temper enthusiasm despite strong comps. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — Recent sales by a senior U.S. executive (disclosed Form 4) could be read as a headwind for sentiment; combined with elevated volume, some investors may be booking gains after the earnings pop. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MCD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $372.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $332.38.

About McDonald’s

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.