Empowered Funds LLC Has $34.72 Million Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 24.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,709 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 21,992 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $34,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MCD. Norges Bank bought a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,890,438,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 30,979.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $806,917,000 after acquiring an additional 2,587,986 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $913,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 49.9% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,104,337 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $948,779,000 after acquiring an additional 1,033,041 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 8,348 shares of company stock valued at $2,355,634. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on MCD. Evercore set a $320.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut McDonald’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $333.32.

McDonald’s Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $270.71 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $275.76 and its 200 day moving average is $298.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $192.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $260.96 and a 12 month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.67 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.34%.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained a Buy rating on McDonald’s while lowering its price target from $365 to $340. The revised target still implies approximately 25.6% upside from the reference price, signaling that the analyst sees meaningful long-term value despite near-term concerns. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: A recent investment analysis characterized McDonald’s as attractively priced, potentially supporting investor interest in the stock following its decline from the 52-week high. Fast Food At Bargain Prices: McDonald’s
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock’s advance occurred alongside a broader market upswing, suggesting that part of the move reflected overall market momentum rather than a major new company announcement. McDonald’s Beats Stock Market Upswing
• Negative Sentiment: UBS expects McDonald’s second-quarter same-store sales to be “sluggish,” citing weaker consumer spending. Soft comparable sales could pressure near-term revenue growth and raise concerns about value-conscious customers. UBS expects sluggish Q2 same-store sales
• Negative Sentiment: UBS’s price-target reduction reflects a more cautious earnings outlook, even though the firm retained its Buy rating.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent consumer complaints alleging “shrinkflation” involving smaller drink portions could create reputational and value-perception risks, although the reports appear anecdotal rather than a confirmed financial impact. McDonald’s shrinkflation complaints

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.