McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CMO Sells $1,553,052.00 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.2%

McDonald’s stock opened at $327.29 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $335.67. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.96. The company has a market cap of $233.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Norges Bank acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at about $1,412,069,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its position in McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP raised its stake in McDonald’s by 171.7% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $913,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raises 2026 capital spending to as much as $3.9B to accelerate restaurant openings and push toward 50,000 locations by 2027 — a growth push that supports revenue and unit‑level expansion if ROI targets hold. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations (Q4 EPS and revenue upside) and management declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Mar 3, pay Mar 17) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat Q4 & Dividend Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and product catalysts (Drake OVO collab, return of Shamrock Shake, new Big Arch burger, nostalgic Happy Meal toys) plus tests of high‑protein menu options for GLP‑1 users should help traffic and frequency. These LTOs and collaborations typically boost near‑term sales and brand engagement. Drake OVO Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is growing — several firms raised price targets or upgraded MCD recently (Erste, UBS, Argus among others), providing an analyst tailwind for the stock. Analyst Actions Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail/investor attention and brand stories (historical pieces, health/food features) are boosting awareness but are unlikely by themselves to move fundamentals. Zacks Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by CEO Christopher Kempczinski (~26,277 shares across filings) and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley (~4,692 shares) were disclosed (SEC filings), which can trigger short‑term selling or signal management cashing in after recent highs. CEO Insider Sale SEC Filing

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s 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.