McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Insider Joseph Erlinger Sells 2,626 Shares

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.00, for a total transaction of $806,182.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,400 shares in the company, valued at $2,578,800. The trade was a 23.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $304.48 on Tuesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $216.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.53. The company’s 50-day moving average is $320.92 and its 200 day moving average is $311.79.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the subject of a number of research reports. Mizuho increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Tigress Financial upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.69.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major beverage expansion — McDonald’s plans to add energy drinks (including Red Bull mixes), specialty sodas and refreshers nationwide, a push aimed at lifting traffic, increasing ticket size and improving beverage margins; Wall Street coverage frames this as a strategic growth lever for a slowed core business. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Value menu expansion — McDonald’s is doubling down on a new “under $3” menu to drive transactions and low‑price traffic, which could help offset soft comps and support unit-level sales recovery. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Cultural buzz and marketing noise — viral CEO tasting clips and promotional tie‑ins (e.g., K‑pop collaboration) are creating social engagement that can support short‑term traffic but are hard to quantify for long‑term financial impact. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale disclosed — President of U.S. operations Joseph Erlinger sold 2,626 shares under a prearranged 10b5-1 plan; while routine, insider selling can weigh on sentiment when combined with other negatives. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term share weakness & sector pressure — MCD has fallen over 6% this month amid broader consumer/coffee‑chain softness; reports note coffee/energy competitors saw share moves after McDonald’s beverage news, adding volatility. Article Title Article Title

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.