Washington Trust Advisors Inc. Sells 2,996 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Washington Trust Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 69.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,291 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,996 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 21.6% during 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 increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 11.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $589,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. United Bank boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 6.0% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,367,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.5% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,780,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Argus decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $321.35.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: A McDonald’s franchisee in Milwaukee reported double-digit sales growth across seven restaurants, crediting improved operations, local marketing and disciplined execution. The results suggest that franchisees with effective store-level strategies may still be able to outperform broader U.S. trends. McDonald’s sales growth has slowed. One franchisee says his stores are up double digits — and he credits these 3 things.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts cited McDonald’s franchise economics, global diversification and recurring royalty revenue as reasons the company could recover. One market commentary sees substantial upside to the shares despite current U.S. execution issues. Why Franchise Models Are Winning the Restaurant Stock Divide
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s long record of annual dividend increases—dating back to 1976—continues to appeal to income-oriented investors. The recent share-price pullback is being presented as a potentially attractive entry point, with the dividend supported by the company’s asset-light franchise model. McDonald’s Has Raised Its Dividend Every Year Since 1976
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s remained open on Labor Day, a routine operating update with limited direct implications for earnings or valuation. Fast Food Chains: Are Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Starbucks Open on Labor Day?
• Neutral Sentiment: New fall beverages and promotional menu changes could support traffic and seasonal sales, but the impact is unlikely to be material without evidence of stronger customer demand. McDonald’s drops a 13-year favorite as it unveils its new fall drinks
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a customer “hack” for keeping cars cleaner while eating McDonald’s is lifestyle content and has no meaningful near-term investment impact. The McDonald’s Hack That Keeps Your Car A Little Cleaner When Eating Burgers On The Go
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights slowing U.S. sales and execution missteps, contrasting McDonald’s with restaurant peers that reported stronger results from franchise economics and international diversification. This is the clearest near-term pressure on the stock. Why Franchise Models Are Winning the Restaurant Stock Divide
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that McDonald’s once sold its roughly 90% stake in Chipotle are reviving criticism that the company missed significant long-term value creation. The issue is historical rather than an immediate earnings catalyst, but it may weigh on sentiment about capital allocation. McDonald’s Exit From a 90% Restaurant Stake Still Haunts Investors
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s India’s social-media account reportedly posted memecoin-related content, creating reputational and governance concerns, although the incident appears unlikely to materially affect consolidated financial results. McDonald’s India Drama Erupts While Wall Street Targets 24% Stock Rally

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $255.69 on Tuesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $255.49 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $269.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $288.61. The firm has a market cap of $180.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.19 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.87 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

McDonald’s 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.