McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Insider Joseph Erlinger Sells 333 Shares

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $330.43, for a total transaction of $110,033.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,885,645.19. This trade represents a 3.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MCD traded down $0.43 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $332.62. 823,463 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,373,010. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $336.00. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $315.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $309.60. The company has a market capitalization of $236.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.52.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling its internationally successful “Big Arch” burger into U.S. menus for a limited time — a high-profile product launch that can drive traffic and near-term sales. McDonald’s to Bring Successful Big Arch Burger to U.S. Menus
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is also introducing a best‑selling international burger to the U.S. for a limited time — another limited‑time offer that can boost traffic and AUVs (average unit volumes) during the promotion. McDonald’s is bringing its best-selling international burger to the US for a limited time
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has improved: JPMorgan raised its price target and kept an overweight stance, and Erste Group upgraded MCD to Buy — both lend credibility that earnings/sales could firm in 2026. Benzinga – JPMorgan price target raise Erste Group Sees McDonald’s Benefiting
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s has quietly outperformed the broader consumer discretionary sector over the past year — positive evidence of resilience, though much of that strength may already be priced in. McDonald’s Stock: Is MCD Outperforming the Consumer Discretionary Sector?
• Neutral Sentiment: Regional marketing (McDonald’s India Protein Week) and seasonal items (Shamrock Shake coverage) highlight ongoing localized promotions that support same‑store sales but have limited, uneven impact globally. McDonald’s India Celebrates Protein Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer results (Domino’s) show industry-level pricing and traffic dynamics are in flux — useful for context but not a direct driver of MCD’s near‑term moves. Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (DMZPY) Earnings Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness (index declines and risk‑off action) and recent strong multi‑year gains in MCD have likely prompted short‑term profit‑taking, which is pressuring the stock despite company-level positives. Stock Market Today: Dow Dives (Market Headwinds)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. BTIG Research raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp raised their price target on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.