Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. Grows Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 108.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 113,431 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 59,105 shares during the period. McDonald’s makes up 2.0% of Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $34,668,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 21,487 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 3,866 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,029,572 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $312,877,000 after purchasing an additional 51,039 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,533,015 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $465,868,000 after purchasing an additional 37,744 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,697,000. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. now owns 15,956 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,849,000 after purchasing an additional 1,748 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $276.42 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $304.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $310.02. The company has a market capitalization of $196.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.43. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $271.98 and a 12 month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts and market commentators argue that McDonald’s looks oversold and inexpensive relative to its historical valuation, with strong fundamentals and long-term growth prospects potentially supporting a rebound. McDonald’s Is the Cheapest It’s Been in Years—Does That Make It a Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s landed a major naming-rights deal for the Chicago Fire stadium, which adds brand visibility and reinforces the company’s deep marketing reach. McDonald’s Lands Naming Rights Deal for $750 Million Chicago Fire Stadium
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s remains a widely watched dividend stalwart, with its long record of shareholder payouts keeping it on income investors’ radar. Don’t Look Now, But 4 Blue-Chip Giants Could Be the Newest Dividend Kings
• Neutral Sentiment: News coverage also highlights that McDonald’s is a trending stock and a subject of debate among investors, but this mostly reflects attention rather than a clear new catalyst. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Attention is centered on weaker U.S. company-run restaurant margins, with investors worried about pricing pressure, cost inflation, and the ownership mix affecting profitability. McDonald’s Company-Run Margins Draw Focus: Can Ownership Mix Help?
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and others points to the stock’s recent weakness, with concerns that McDonald’s has been “breaking down” despite being a defensive name. Jim Cramer on McDonald’s: “QSR I Think Is the Better”
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer cost pressures, including rising restaurant prices and higher gas prices, may weigh on traffic and spending at quick-service restaurants like McDonald’s. Grocery and Restaurant Prices Post Biggest Jump Since 2022

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Cfra upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Evercore set a $350.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $334.45.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.72, for a total transaction of $100,805.76. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,442,042.24. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at $763,567.39. This trade represents a 73.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 12,119 shares of company stock worth $3,945,973 over the last three months. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.