McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock Bought by Sowell Financial Services LLC

Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 18.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 29,678 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,607 shares during the quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $6,854,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,080,505 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $9,752,921,000 after acquiring an additional 646,675 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,359,276,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in McDonald’s by 17.2% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,637,785 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,130,587,000 after buying an additional 533,448 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in McDonald’s by 30,979.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $806,917,000 after buying an additional 2,587,986 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 6.9% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 2,089,980 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $649,545,000 after acquiring an additional 134,480 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valuation and dividend appeal: McDonald’s trades at a historically low earnings multiple relative to its own recent averages, while its dividend yield is near multiyear highs. Investors may view the pullback over the past year as an opportunity, particularly with the company’s long record of dividend increases. Is the Market Underpricing McDonald’s Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term strategy remains a potential catalyst: UBS said McDonald’s NEXT growth plan and its value initiatives could outweigh near-term U.S. weakness and help the company gain global market share in 2027. The heavily franchised model also supports cash generation and shareholder returns. McDonald’s NEXT Plan and Value Push
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal marketing and restaurant expansion: Disney Villains-themed Halloween Boo Buckets launched October 20, reviving a popular collectible promotion that could increase visits and generate social-media attention. Separately, two new restaurants are planned for the north Fort Worth suburbs, while another recently opened in West Michigan, indicating continued unit expansion. McDonald’s Boo Buckets Are Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent financial performance was mixed: McDonald’s last reported quarterly EPS above consensus, but revenue fell slightly short of expectations. Investors are likely looking to upcoming results for evidence that value offerings and promotions are improving comparable-store sales.
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing power is under pressure: Morgan Stanley warned that lower-income consumers are pulling back, limiting McDonald’s ability to raise prices without hurting traffic. This could pressure margins and same-store sales. McDonald’s Pricing-Power Problem
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational and ownership risks: Reports of scrutiny involving McDonald’s and Deloitte over alleged menu-pricing practices could create negative publicity, while one wealth manager substantially reduced its MCD position. These developments appear company-specific but may add to investor caution.

McDonald’s Stock Up 1.6%

MCD stock opened at $246.47 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $174.41 billion, a PE ratio of 20.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.44. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $250.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $270.92. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $229.20 and a 52 week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $1.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 60.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $285.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Gordon Haskett decreased their price objective on McDonald’s from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $295.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of McDonald’s from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $295.64.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.