Gradient Investments LLC Purchases 2,019 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Gradient Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 126,940 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,019 shares during the quarter. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $38,797,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MCD. Legacy Private Trust Co. increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 11,637 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,885 shares in the last quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 9,005 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,752,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares in the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 7,928 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,411,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. GSG Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 37.8% during the fourth quarter. GSG Advisors LLC now owns 940 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $287,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American National Bank of Texas increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. American National Bank of Texas now owns 1,191 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $364,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $340.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Argus raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $354.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $339.69.

Insider Activity

In other McDonald’s news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $763,567.39. This trade represents a 73.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

McDonald’s stock opened at $309.42 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $219.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.89, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $341.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $321.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $311.63.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s rolled out deeper value pricing and is reportedly launching $3 menu items aimed at retaining lower-income customers — actions that can boost traffic and same-store sales if widely adopted. McDonald’s Value Menu Just Got Even Cheaper McDonald’s reportedly launching $3 menu items
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing tie-ins returning (Super Mario Galaxy Happy Meal toys) provide a low-cost way to drive family traffic and frequency, supporting March/holiday comps. Super Mario Galaxy Movie Toys Arrive In McDonald’s Next Week Mario Returns To McDonald’s Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-facing notes on McDonald’s soft-serve/ice-cream mechanics and safety: useful for operations/brand perception but unlikely to move fundamentals unless problems escalate. What You Should Know Before Eating McDonald’s Ice Cream Again
• Neutral Sentiment: Price of the new Big Arch burger varies significantly by location — shows pricing power is uneven and customers see mixed value; informational for revenue mix but not an immediate catalyst. Price of McDonald’s new Big Arch burger varies across the US
• Negative Sentiment: A federal judge allowed two former Black vice presidents’ harassment and retaliation claims to proceed — a potential reputational and legal overhang that could bring costs or reforms. McDonald’s must face Black ex-executives’ harassment, retaliation claims
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and press highlight a pricing challenge: franchisees set local prices, producing uneven inflation pass-through and promotional participation — a structural constraint on company-wide pricing and margin execution. McDonald’s faces a burger pricing challenge
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage notes MCD shares have dipped more than the broader market recently, reflecting investor concern about near-term comps, pricing variability and legal headlines. McDonald’s (MCD) Dips More Than Broader Market

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.