Swiss National Bank Trims Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Swiss National Bank decreased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,061,100 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 103,600 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $626,348,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the third quarter worth $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total value of $8,706,883.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,587,915. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 71,517 shares of company stock valued at $23,655,503 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Tigress Financial raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.69.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price target raised to $385 — a direct bullish signal that increases upside expectations and can support buying interest. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Price Target Raised to $385.00
• Positive Sentiment: Viral “Big Arch” burger video added meaningful brand value (reported at ≈$18M) — free marketing and renewed customer attention could lift short-term traffic and digital orders. McDonald’s Big Arch burger viral video has added at least $18 million brand value to the chain
• Positive Sentiment: Product and promotion activity (new Happy Meal, Crocs Happy Meal tie‑in) — ongoing limited‑time offers and collaborations help traffic and merchandising. McDonald’s, Crocs team up on new Happy Meal for limited time
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive talent visibility — McDonald’s CIO Brian Rice joining Albertsons’ board highlights McDonald’s digital capability but is not an immediate earnings driver. A Look At Albertsons Companies (ACI) Valuation As Tech Leader Brian Rice Joins The Board
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu reviews and local nostalgia pieces (Filet‑O‑Fish upgrade, Long Island location story) keep brand conversation active but are unlikely to move the stock materially. The Game-Changing McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Upgrade That Makes It 10x Better
• Negative Sentiment: $150 oil risk argument — coverage warns that a big jump in oil threatens demand (drive‑through, delivery, franchise economics) more than McDonald’s direct input costs, implying traffic and same‑store sales downside if fuel spikes. This is a key macro sensitivity to watch. McDonald’s Real Risk From $150 Oil Has Nothing to Do With Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Viral CEO tasting video drew mockery — while it increased awareness, any reputational noise could blunt the marketing upside and merits monitoring of brand sentiment. McDonald’s CEO mocked online after awkward Big Arch Burger tasting video goes viral

McDonald’s Stock Performance

McDonald’s stock opened at $328.22 on Monday. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $341.75. The business has a fifty day moving average of $318.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $311.02. The company has a market cap of $233.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.51.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

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.