Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd Increases Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 2.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 251,750 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,800 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $68,051,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,112,675,000 after buying an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,997,789,000 after acquiring an additional 959,140 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during 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 acquiring an additional 76,090 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,895,768,000 after acquiring an additional 277,617 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $2,890,438,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is emphasizing lower-priced meals to win back cost-conscious customers, a potentially supportive strategy as consumers increasingly prioritize value. McDonald’s is betting on cheaper meals to win back customers
• Positive Sentiment: New growth initiatives include Red Bull energy drinks, additional beverages and limited-time menu items. These products could increase traffic and average spending while supporting a simpler restaurant operating model. McDonald’s bringing Red Bull drinks and new sodas to US customers
• Positive Sentiment: The Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may generate customer interest and family traffic when it launches, although its financial impact is likely limited. McDonald’s Announces Eight Hello Kitty x Godzilla Toys
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings showed adjusted EPS of $3.38, above expectations, while revenue of $7.10 billion was slightly below consensus. Management acknowledged inconsistent value-menu execution and excessive operational complexity, making successful implementation of the turnaround strategy critical. Five Insightful Analyst Questions From McDonald’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s is reportedly losing ground to Burger King and other low-cost alternatives, including gas-station food, as customers seek cheaper meals. Slowing second-quarter sales growth raises concerns about U.S. traffic and market share. The burger wars are heating up as McDonald’s loses ground
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast, adding to investor concerns about earnings growth. McDonald’s FY2027 EPS Forecast Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that McDonald’s maintained a 515-page customer dossier could create privacy and reputational risks, though the immediate financial effect is unclear. McDonald’s customer dossier report

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on MCD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. KeyCorp lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Cfra raised shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.44.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

MCD stock opened at $272.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $192.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $260.96 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $273.81 and a 200-day moving average of $295.28.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.19 EPS. Equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,348 shares of company stock valued at $2,355,634. 0.26% of the stock is 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.