Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Boosts Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. grew its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 17.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 23,022 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,443 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $6,996,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its position in McDonald’s by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $330.43, for a total transaction of $110,033.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,885,645.19. The trade was a 3.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 71,517 shares of company stock valued at $23,655,503. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on MCD. Truist Financial upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $354.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $339.69.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $328.22 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $233.17 billion, a PE ratio of 27.47, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $341.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $318.21 and a 200 day moving average of $311.04.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 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 business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

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

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target on MCD to $385 and kept a “buy” rating, implying roughly 17% upside from the current price — a direct bullish signal from an analyst that can drive buying interest. Street Insider: PT Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Capgemini extended its technology partnership with McDonald’s for five years to modernize restaurants and accelerate digital features — supports efficiency, digital sales growth and execution of the “Accelerating the Arches” strategy. Capgemini partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion plan: analyst coverage (Zacks) highlights MCD’s target of ~50,000 restaurants by 2027 with 2,600 openings planned for 2026 — accelerates unit-driven revenue potential and global footprint growth. Zacks: 50K restaurant target
• Positive Sentiment: Brand & merchandising lift: Crocs x Happy Meal collaboration and revived Happy Meal partnerships drive PR and collectible demand that can boost traffic and AUVs in limited windows. Crocs Happy Meal collab
• Neutral Sentiment: Local development: planning for a third McDonald’s in Collierville, TN — incremental local growth but immaterial to companywide fundamentals. Collierville restaurant plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend narratives continue to feature MCD among reliable payers — supports longer‑term investor interest but is not an immediate price catalyst. Dividend stocks article
• Negative Sentiment: Product/PR risk from Big Arch launch — the nationwide rollout and a viral 13‑second CEO taste‑test video produced heavy attention but mixed consumer reviews and social backlash; competitors (Burger King, Wendy’s) have publicly trolled the clip. That creates short‑term reputational noise and raises the risk that the premium product may not sustain lift if consumer reception or value perception proves weak. Big Arch coverage

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.