Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 5,717,797 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 99.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,751 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 5,717,797 shares during the quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $6,002,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 11.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $589,000 after buying an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. United Bank increased its position in McDonald’s by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,367,000 after buying an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in McDonald’s by 2.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,780,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Street support: JPMorgan raised its price target to $325 and remains constructive, giving buy‑side validation and likely contributing to bullish flows. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Promotions and LTOs driving traffic: The U.S. rollout of the “Big Arch” supersized burger and national $1 McMuffin promotions are generating buzz and should lift short‑term visits and digital engagement, supporting revenue and comp trends. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Loyalty and digital momentum: Coverage highlights McDonald’s rewards and app-driven promotions are improving visit frequency and ticket, a structural tailwind for margins and recurring sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend income visibility: Management confirmed a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex‑div March 3, payable March 17), supporting demand from income‑oriented investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst estimate moves from Zacks: Zacks updated numerous quarterly and FY2027/28 EPS estimates — lifting some full‑year/quarter forecasts while trimming others. The net effect is ambiguous for near‑term sentiment but shows analysts are actively re‑modeling. (Zacks coverage also discusses value strategy sustaining traffic.) Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Product novelty tests: International menu items and limited‑time offers can boost visits but their incremental margin impact is uncertain; useful for short‑term traffic but not a proven long‑term earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executives disclosed sales (including a recent sale by Joe Erlinger), which can spook some investors even if part of routine diversification. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regional ad controversy: A Ramadan ad in Germany showing empty boxes drew criticism — a reputational headline that may pressure local sentiment but is unlikely to materially affect global fundamentals. Article Title

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 71,517 shares of company stock worth $23,655,503 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $340.85 on Monday. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $341.35. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $316.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $310.29. The firm has a market cap of $242.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.57.

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.