Moors & Cabot Inc. Has $4.32 Million Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Moors & Cabot Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 15.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,143 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,880 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $4,323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Viking Global Investors LP grew 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. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 36.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,396,837 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,336,155,000 after buying an additional 1,179,244 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 111.3% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,071,296 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $629,446,000 after acquiring an additional 1,090,849 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 927.5% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 827,547 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $251,483,000 after acquiring an additional 927,547 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 766.5% in the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 885,629 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $269,134,000 after acquiring an additional 783,416 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out fresh promotions, including a 2026 FIFA World Cup Happy Meal, Squishmallows tie-ins, and regional beverage offerings such as refreshers and dirty sodas, which could help drive customer traffic and keep the brand highly visible. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remains generally constructive, with analyst coverage still reflecting a moderate buy outlook and price targets above the current share price, suggesting some investors see the stock as undervalued. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to benefit from its strong brand moat and recurring franchise-driven cash flow, which supports earnings resilience even in a tougher consumer backdrop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: An insider sale by Joseph M. Erlinger of 333 shares was disclosed, but the transaction was small and does not by itself signal a major shift in the company’s outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Viral social media interest in a McDonald’s nugget “hack” may help brand buzz, but it is unlikely to materially change fundamentals on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s said it cannot meet its 2030 emissions targets and also missed a packaging goal, which could create ESG-related pressure and weigh on sentiment. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.00, for a total transaction of $806,182.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,578,800. The trade was a 23.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,918 shares of company stock valued at $1,862,485. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on MCD shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $305.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.45.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $277.91 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $296.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $308.77. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $271.98 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $197.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.91, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.43.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 442.10% and a net margin of 31.62%.The company had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.34%.

About McDonald’s

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.