GSA Capital Partners LLP Lowers Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

GSA Capital Partners LLP decreased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 44.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,419 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,751 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,039,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares in the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP raised its position in McDonald’s by 171.7% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $913,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 96.0% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,188,147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,751 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Argus raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of MCD opened at $327.29 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $335.67. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $314.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $308.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $233.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.83 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raises 2026 capital spending to as much as $3.9B to accelerate restaurant openings and push toward 50,000 locations by 2027 — a growth push that supports revenue and unit‑level expansion if ROI targets hold. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations (Q4 EPS and revenue upside) and management declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Mar 3, pay Mar 17) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat Q4 & Dividend Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and product catalysts (Drake OVO collab, return of Shamrock Shake, new Big Arch burger, nostalgic Happy Meal toys) plus tests of high‑protein menu options for GLP‑1 users should help traffic and frequency. These LTOs and collaborations typically boost near‑term sales and brand engagement. Drake OVO Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is growing — several firms raised price targets or upgraded MCD recently (Erste, UBS, Argus among others), providing an analyst tailwind for the stock. Analyst Actions Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail/investor attention and brand stories (historical pieces, health/food features) are boosting awareness but are unlikely by themselves to move fundamentals. Zacks Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by CEO Christopher Kempczinski (~26,277 shares across filings) and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley (~4,692 shares) were disclosed (SEC filings), which can trigger short‑term selling or signal management cashing in after recent highs. CEO Insider Sale SEC Filing

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 71,550 shares of company stock worth $23,484,957 in the last 90 days. 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.