Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 148,402 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,248,435 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 148,402 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,298,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after purchasing an additional 703,458 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,024,857 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,643,704,000 after purchasing an additional 196,505 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,195,965,000 after purchasing an additional 76,090 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,890,438,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,283,655 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,614,843,000 after purchasing an additional 40,506 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.00, for a total transaction of $806,182.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,400 shares in the company, valued at $2,578,800. The trade was a 23.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 8,681 shares of company stock worth $2,631,594 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $260.00 to $306.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Argus raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $336.26.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s launched a high-profile FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with collectible cups, toys, and themed meals, which could lift same-store sales and create a short-term traffic boost. McDonald’s launches global FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with collectible cups, Squishmallows
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s “McDonald’s > NEXT” menu and experience overhaul signals management is actively addressing consumer value concerns and trying to improve food quality, which investors may view as supportive for longer-term demand. McDonald’s Is Upgrading Its Menu. Should Investors Bite?
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports say the World Cup promotion is designed as McDonald’s biggest global campaign in years, potentially strengthening brand relevance with younger consumers and families. McDonald’s Is Launching Its Biggest-Ever Global Campaign. The Secret Weapon Is a Paper Cup.
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage highlighting McDonald’s appeal to Gen Z and its collectible marketing strategy may support brand momentum, but it is not yet a direct financial catalyst. Gen Z Trends Make These 3 Stocks Worth Watching (MCD)
• Neutral Sentiment: Some articles noted that McDonald’s shares have lagged this year, which frames the new campaign as a potential turnaround effort rather than proof of immediate earnings acceleration. McDonald’s Is Upgrading Its Menu. Should Investors Bite?
• Negative Sentiment: One consumer-focused report said only 40% of customers view McDonald’s as a good value, underscoring the affordability and perception challenges the company is trying to fix. Only 40% of customers think McDonald’s is a good value

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $279.73 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $291.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $307.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $198.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.06, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $271.85 and a one year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be issued a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

About McDonald’s

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.