Boothbay Fund Management LLC Has $19.20 Million Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Boothbay Fund Management LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 712.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 63,192 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,418 shares during the quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $19,203,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter worth $29,000. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter worth $29,000. Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the third quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Miller Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the third quarter valued at $38,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target to $385 and reiterated a Buy, citing McDonald’s multi‑year growth strategy and brand strength — a clear analyst endorsement that supports upside to the stock. Tigress Financial Upgrades McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Price Target, Highlights Multi-Year Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Value menu push: McDonald’s is rolling out $3 value items and $4 breakfast deals in the U.S. starting in April to win back price‑sensitive customers — a traffic‑driving move that could boost visit frequency if franchisees and consumers adopt it. McDonald’s to launch new $3 value items in US starting April, WSJ reports
• Positive Sentiment: Digital/loyalty tailwinds: Management cites a large loyalty base and digital tools as drivers for higher visit frequency and better targeted promotions — structural levers for revenue per user and margin expansion over time. Can MCD’s Digital Ecosystem Turn Loyalty Into Higher Visit Frequency?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and product noise: Viral moments (CEO burger video → memes) and new product reviews (e.g., Big Arch) keep brand relevance and social buzz high but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. How McDonald’s CEO’s viral burger video turned memes into money
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu coverage / consumer perception: Media attention on affordability and menu mix helps narrative but the actual impact depends on execution and unit economics. McDonald’s Plans New $3 Menu, in Latest Bid to Win Customers With Better Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executive Joseph Erlinger disclosed a sale of 2,626 shares (~$862k). While routine insider sales aren’t always predictive, they can be interpreted as a mild negative signal by some investors. Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term dampener: Analysts and commentary note the stock is down since earnings (some profit‑taking and valuation debates persist), which can cap near‑term upside until fresh evidence of traffic/margin improvement appears. Why Is McDonald’s (MCD) Down 2.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total value of $8,764,097.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,638,066. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at $763,567.39. This trade represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 74,143 shares of company stock valued at $24,517,724 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

MCD opened at $326.41 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $231.88 billion, a PE ratio of 27.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $320.28 and a 200-day moving average of $311.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $341.75.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Guggenheim dropped their target price on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

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.