McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock Position Decreased by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 857,513 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 71,961 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned approximately 0.12% of McDonald’s worth $260,590,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in McDonald’s by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,331,031 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $20,840,787,000 after buying an additional 921,936 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,175,800,000 after acquiring an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,901,595,000 after acquiring an additional 276,065 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:MCD opened at $312.75 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $309.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $306.26. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The firm has a market cap of $222.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.69, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.58, for a total value of $805,079.08. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,654,918.84. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on MCD. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Oppenheimer raised McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.88.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company is pushing $5 and $8 Extra Value Meals to drive U.S. traffic and affordability into 2026 — a clear initiative to regain guest frequency and compete on price. Are Extra Value Meals the Key to McDonald’s Traffic Recovery in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Company is doubling down on value (revived Snack Wrap, $5 options) as part of a franchise rebound strategy — supports unit-level sales and franchisee economics. McDonald’s doubles down on value: $5 meals, Snack Wrap revival fuel franchise rebound
• Positive Sentiment: New limited-time menu items (Hot Honey menu) are generating positive consumer buzz and reviews — could boost check averages and short-term traffic if adoption continues. I tried McDonald’s new hot honey menu & this is the one item you need to try
• Positive Sentiment: Return of nostalgic Happy Meal toys (Changeables / 1980s line, FRIENDS Meal collectibles) supports brand engagement and family traffic — low-cost promotional lift. McDonald’s brings back an iconic item from the 1980s
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitors (e.g., Domino’s) are mirroring McDonald’s focus on larger value deals — validates the strategy but may intensify pricing competition across quick-service peers. Domino’s follows McDonald’s menu plan, adds bigger deals
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies expects Q4 results roughly inline with estimates and notes limited potential for near‑term surprises — reduces the chance of a positive catalyst from earnings and may keep the stock muted. McDonald’s seen delivering inline fourth quarter results as share gains support sales

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.