McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock: Mather Group LLC. Boosts Stake

Mather Group LLC. raised its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 84,887 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,152 shares during the quarter. Mather Group LLC.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $19,604,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the topic of several recent research reports. HSBC cut their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $357.00 to $356.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $310.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $306.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $282.00 to $270.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $295.94.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $238.16 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $168.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $253.35 and a 200-day moving average of $272.74. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $229.20 and a 1-year high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.19 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $1.93 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $7.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. This is a boost from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Turnaround spending could support long-term sales. McDonald’s has outlined an approximately $8.5 billion franchisee-support and restaurant-modernization plan through 2036. The company is also pursuing more personalized digital offers, value meals and streamlined marketing to improve customer engagement after recent promotions underperformed. McDonald’s Trades at 18 Times Earnings McDonald’s Marketing Reset
• Positive Sentiment: Technology investments may improve operations. Reports describe plans involving AI-powered drive-thru technology, including a system called Archy, as part of the broader restaurant overhaul. Successful deployment could improve speed, labor efficiency and order accuracy, although a previous AI test was discontinued. McDonald’s AI Drive-Thru Overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst valuation remains above the current share price. A reported consensus target price of $295.94 indicates meaningful potential upside if McDonald’s executes its recovery strategy. McDonald’s Consensus Target Price
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest session’s increase contrasted with a difficult medium-term trend. MCD closed at $238.31 after gaining in the session, but shares have fallen roughly 23% over six months. At about 19 times earnings, investors are weighing a potentially attractive entry valuation against uncertain earnings growth. McDonald’s Increases Despite Market Slip
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and promotional initiatives continue. McDonald’s is extending grassroots football sponsorships and may bring back Halloween Boo Buckets featuring Disney villains. These efforts could support traffic and brand engagement, but their financial effect is likely limited. McDonald’s Grassroots Football Commitment
• Negative Sentiment: Weak U.S. sales and value-menu execution remain key concerns. Coverage points to softer domestic demand and lower earnings estimates, raising doubts about whether the turnaround investments can produce sufficient returns. Erste Group also modestly reduced its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts. McDonald’s Stock Down 23 Percent
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and reputational risks add uncertainty. McDonald’s faces a reported class-action lawsuit alleging issues with AI-based menu pricing, while poor customer ratings at individual restaurants could weigh on perceptions of service quality. McDonald’s AI Menu Pricing Lawsuit

McDonald’s Company Profile

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.