Assetmark Inc. Raises Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 48,812 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,277 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $14,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $41,422,000 after purchasing an additional 64,757 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 236.7% during the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,571 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% during the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $43,606,000 after buying an additional 3,774 shares during the period. Choreo LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $17,096,000 after buying an additional 954 shares during the period. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $1,120,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $337.04.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,133. The trade was a 58.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 31,439 shares of company stock valued at $9,772,464. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.4%

McDonald’s stock opened at $327.58 on Monday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $308.34. The stock has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $335.67.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.26%.

McDonald’s Company 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.