Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Purchases New Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 122,706 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $37,289,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,647,669 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $21,773,010,000 after purchasing an additional 316,638 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,175,800,000 after purchasing an additional 272,139 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,901,595,000 after purchasing an additional 276,065 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product momentum — McDonald’s Big Arch burger is being heavily promoted (CEO appearances, social campaigns such as “First Job Confessional”) and is generating strong online buzz that can lift traffic and brand engagement. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Tests Brand Power And Rich Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — At least one outlet reports a raised price target to $385, signaling increased analyst confidence in MCD’s outlook and valuation support. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $385.00
• Positive Sentiment: Viral CEO marketing — A widely viewed video of McDonald’s CEO sampling the new product has driven free publicity and conversations that amplify the Big Arch campaign. Increased organic attention can translate into short-term traffic gains. Viral video of McDonald’s CEO eating new ‘product’ draws response from Columbus Metropolitan Library
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing variability — A study shows Big Arch prices vary widely across U.S. markets; this affects local comps and customer perception but is not a company-wide earnings surprise. McDonald’s Big Arch Burger Prices Swing Wildly Across U.S., New Study Shows
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing product initiatives — New Happy Meal offerings and Filet‑O‑Fish tips/PR continue to support menu innovation and value perception, which can aid transaction growth over time. McDonald’s announces new happy meal
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive and reputational noise — Rival chains (notably Burger King) and their agencies have produced social jabs that highlight brand rivalry; while largely promotional theatre, sustained negative narratives can dent sentiment. Burger King names 2 new agencies following viral Whopper bite moment
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/logistics risk — Analysis flags meaningful exposure to very high oil prices (fuel for delivery/drive‑thru, packaging, logistics) that could suppress demand or raise operating risk if energy spikes materially. McDonald’s Real Risk From $150 Oil Has Nothing to Do With Costs

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in 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. Argus raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective 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, UBS Group boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.69.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $331.03 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $235.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.70, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $318.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $311.15. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $763,567.39. The trade was a 73.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 71,517 shares of company stock worth $23,655,503. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

McDonald’s 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.