Aberdeen Group plc Cuts Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Aberdeen Group plc reduced its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 528,880 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 8,500 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.07% of McDonald’s worth $160,298,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MCD. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its stake in McDonald’s by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $327.58 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $335.67. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $313.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $308.30. The firm has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.83 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and momentum — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue ~ $7.0B, EPS beat, systemwide comps up ~5.7% with U.S. comps ~6.8%) and cited loyalty growth that helped drive sales and margins; this is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Several firms raised ratings/targets (Argus upgraded to Buy with a $380 target; Truist/BTIG raised targets toward ~$370), which can support further upside as sentiment shifts. Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback/dividend tailwind — Coverage notes that strong cash flow from Q4 and a healthy dividend yield support continued buybacks and payouts, a structural catalyst for EPS per-share gains over time. Buybacks & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions/brand buzz — Seasonal items and PR stunts (Shamrock Shake, McNugget kits) are driving traffic and media attention; helpful for short-term comps but likely temporary. Promotions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A disclosed sale by a senior U.S. executive (Form 4) may have added to near-term selling pressure as some investors lock in gains after the earnings pop. Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution risk — Reports of tension between corporate pricing/value pushes and some franchisees could complicate uniform execution and margins across markets, a potential headwind if disputes persist. Franchisee Tensions

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,439 shares of company stock valued at $9,772,464. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler raised their price target on McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group upped their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho raised their target price on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

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.