Park Avenue Securities LLC Raises Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,161 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,480 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $7,950,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after acquiring an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $563,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 1st quarter valued at $3,511,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 1st quarter worth about $368,000. Finally, Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 101,757 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $31,786,000 after buying an additional 9,869 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $304.06 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $307.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $304.63. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $276.53 and a one year high of $326.32. The company has a market cap of $216.54 billion, a PE ratio of 25.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.48%.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on MCD to $372 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling sizable upside vs. current levels and providing analyst-driven support for the stock. Barclays raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is re-launching popular kids promotions (Pokémon Happy Meals and collectible Pokémon cards) and rolling out new menu items globally for 2026 — moves that typically boost traffic, AUVs and brand engagement. Pokémon Happy Meal returns
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst write-ups group McDonald’s with other favored restaurant names (Chipotle, Dutch Bros), reinforcing consensus that the sector — and MCD’s franchised, cash-generative model — remains attractive to investors. Analysts favor restaurants
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage in dividend/portfolio roundups (e.g., The Motley Fool list) reminds investors of MCD’s defensive income characteristics, but these pieces are less likely to move price quickly. Dividend stock roundup
• Neutral Sentiment: Local opposition surfaced urging a council to block 24/7 openings at a location — a localized regulatory/community issue that could affect operations in specific markets but is unlikely to change company-wide fundamentals. Council urged to stop 24/7 openings
• Negative Sentiment: A federal class-action lawsuit alleges the McRib patty contains non-rib pork parts (heart, tripe, stomach) and that customers are misled — a reputational and litigation risk that could spur short-term negative sentiment, potential legal costs or settlements if claims advance. McDonald’s says the suit “distorts the facts.” Lawsuit claims McRib contains non-rib pork

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on MCD. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Citigroup decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Mizuho upgraded McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total transaction of $977,094.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 42,516 shares of company stock valued at $13,036,090 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

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.