McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Highline Wealth Partners LLC

Highline Wealth Partners LLC decreased its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 79.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 654 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,477 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. LeConte Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. LeConte Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,411 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Nikulski Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Nikulski Financial Inc. now owns 14,651 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,478,000 after acquiring an additional 2,587 shares in the last quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC boosted its position in McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 36,735 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $11,227,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Services boosted its position in McDonald’s by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 2,228 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $681,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Shrier Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $258,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on MCD shares. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $339.69.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company to roll out a new $3 value menu and $4 meal this week — a direct traffic and frequency play that should help same‑store sales and appeal to price‑sensitive consumers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Major marketing tie‑ins: two K‑pop “Demon Hunters” meals and other pop‑culture promotions (Super Mario Happy Meal) are live — likely to drive short‑term visit spikes and social buzz. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership shuffle returns an operations veteran to U.S. COO and names a new SVP for global franchising and delivery—an execution‑focused move that investors may view as strengthening day‑to‑day operations and franchise relations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion approved in at least one market (plans for a second town‑centre McDonald’s), signaling ongoing unit growth opportunities. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Human‑interest and PR coverage (95‑year‑old customer celebration) and product nostalgia stories keep the brand visible but have limited direct financial impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports flag operational and margin pressure: rising energy costs and disruption concerns tied to Middle East tensions could weigh on margins and franchise economics. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer pushback on a new $12 premium burger and localized complaints about near‑cashier‑free stores leaving staff to absorb extra work raise questions about product pricing/appeal and execution risks. Read More. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.34, for a total transaction of $862,220.84. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,867,393.22. This represents a 23.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total transaction of $8,764,097.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,638,066. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 71,657 shares of company stock valued at $23,722,204 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of MCD opened at $310.76 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $220.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.01, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $321.83 and a 200-day moving average of $311.53. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $283.47 and a 52 week 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 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

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.