Focused Investors LLC Acquires 18,100 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Focused Investors LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 4.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 428,850 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,100 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s comprises 4.0% of Focused Investors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Focused Investors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $130,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. GFG Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $325.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $308.52 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.32, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $308.61 and its 200 day moving average is $305.32. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $276.53 and a 52 week high of $326.32.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.23 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 63.48%.

Insider Activity

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s Canada locked a $1 coffee price (and previously promoted $5 meal pricing), a consumer-friendly move expected to sustain traffic and PR momentum in a key market, though it may slightly pressure short-term margins. McDonald’s Canada freezes coffee at $1 for the next year
• Positive Sentiment: Company is investing in AI to address operational challenges (order accuracy, drive‑thru efficiency and staffing), which could produce medium‑term cost savings and better throughput. McDonald’s bets on AI in 2026 to fix a major problem
• Positive Sentiment: Planned changes to drive‑thru lanes and operations aim to boost throughput and reduce wait times — a direct unit-level productivity lever that can improve sales per store. McDonald’s is about to make big changes to its drive-thru lanes
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and menu moves (Pokémon Happy Meal return, Big Arch rollout, a new permanent item) should drive near‑term traffic and incremental AUV gains. These are low‑capital, high‑impact plays for comps. Pokémon Happy Meal return Big Arch Returns to McDonald’s—but Only Select Stores
• Positive Sentiment: Recent reports show a revived “old‑school” strategy lifted sales ~2.4% at some units — evidence that targeted tactics can restore momentum. McDonald’s Sales Jump 2.4% After They Revived This Old School Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets note heightened investor attention on MCD — useful context but not a direct directional catalyst unless followed by earnings or guidance surprises. Investors Heavily Search McDonald’s Corporation
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings previews expect single‑digit EPS growth next quarter, so results or guidance could move the stock either way — watch the upcoming report. What to Expect From McDonald’s Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO commentary on food trends and localized menu experiments highlights ongoing product innovation; useful for brand positioning but indirect for immediate earnings. McDonald’s CEO reveals 3 food trends that could shape 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Local expansion setback: a city rejected a McDonald’s “city restaurant” plan — a reminder that real estate/permit risks can slow growth in specific markets. McDonald’s city restaurant plan rejected
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Joseph Erlinger (President, Intl. Ops) sold ~2,626 shares (~$805k), trimming his stake by ~33% — may be read by some investors as reduced insider conviction. SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: a class‑action suit alleges the McRib lacks “actual rib meat,” which could create litigation expense and negative publicity if it escalates. McDonald’s faces class action fraud lawsuit over lack of ‘actual rib meat’ in McRib

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.