Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Reduces Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. reduced its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 29.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 190,337 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 80,883 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $58,173,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MCD. Park Place Capital Corp increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 9,907 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,028,000 after acquiring an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth $251,000. Charles Schwab Trust Co grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 29.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co now owns 1,875 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $573,000 after acquiring an additional 421 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Aull & Monroe Investment Management Corp now owns 4,568 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,396,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total transaction of $8,706,883.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at $7,587,915. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at $1,755,699.50. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Value push and branded tie-ins aimed at boosting traffic: McDonald’s is launching $3-and-under menu items and $4 breakfast meal deals and is rolling out a Super Mario Happy Meal tie‑in ahead of the Super Mario Galaxy movie — moves intended to protect volumes as consumers stay price‑sensitive. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Fast sellout comeback: McDonald’s is bringing back a menu item that previously sold out in days — a re‑launch that can generate short‑term traffic and PR momentum. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brand collaborations expanding: McDonald’s will offer K‑pop “Demon Hunters” meals (global promotional tie) that can attract younger customers and boost limited‑time demand. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Automation tests continue: Trials of humanoid/service robots in Shanghai and other automation experiments draw attention for potential labor‑cost savings, but ROI and rollout timing remain uncertain. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional cadence and Happy Meal logistics: Coverage on the timing/availability of the Super Mario Happy Meal and other limited offers helps explain near‑term traffic drivers but not guaranteed margin upside. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing disparity and premium pricing scrutiny: Reports show McDonald’s “Big Arch” premium burger priced nearly $13 in one state and that the premium item produced only a modest traffic bump — raising questions about pricing power, franchise consistency, and the ability of premium SKUs to protect margins. Article Title Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer/PR minutiae and nostalgia pieces: Multiple stories on discontinued items, regional menu oddities, and local rules (e.g., cash‑only reports) keep the brand in headlines but can also highlight inconsistencies that worry investors about uniform customer experience and pricing. Article Title

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $307.81 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $218.67 billion, a PE ratio of 25.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $321.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $311.52.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

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.