McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock Bought by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 10.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,214 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 3,018 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $7,670,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its stake in McDonald’s by 1.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,080,505 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $9,752,921,000 after acquiring an additional 646,675 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter worth about $1,359,276,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 17.2% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,637,785 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,130,587,000 after acquiring an additional 533,448 shares during the period. 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 period. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 6.9% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 2,089,980 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $649,545,000 after acquiring an additional 134,480 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back popular limited-time offerings, including the McRib and a cult-favorite BBQ sandwich. The promotions could help improve traffic and comparable sales, although their impact is likely temporary. McDonald’s Is Bringing Back a Hugely Popular Menu Item Next Week
• Positive Sentiment: The stock’s sell-off has lifted its dividend yield to roughly 3%–3.2%, while McDonald’s has continued raising its payout and has earned “Dividend King” status. The higher yield may attract income-focused investors and provide valuation support. McDonald’s Is Crowned a Dividend King
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect a single-digit increase in third-quarter earnings, and management is relying on chicken launches and limited-time menu items to counter weaker U.S. traffic. McDonald’s Q3 2026 Earnings: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is challenging tokenized trading of its shares on the OKX-ICE venue, citing investor-protection and regulatory-oversight concerns. The dispute is unlikely to materially affect restaurant operations or near-term earnings. Why Is McDonald’s Challenging Tokenized Trading of Its Shares?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pricing is a concern as Taco Bell promotes a $2 item while McDonald’s works to balance affordability with margins. Slower traffic and economic pressure could weigh on comparable-store sales. Taco Bell Rolls Out $2 Item as McDonald’s Wrestles With Pricing
• Negative Sentiment: A federal lawsuit accuses McDonald’s of AI-fueled price fixing; the company says the allegations contain inaccuracies. Even if ultimately dismissed, the litigation creates reputational and regulatory overhang. McDonald’s Accused of AI-Fueled Price Fixing
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS forecast slightly to $13.78 from $13.80. Although the reduction is minor, it reinforces concerns that growth may remain subdued. McDonald’s Analyst Estimates

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock traded down $4.14 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $248.49. 4,157,792 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,846,266. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $229.20 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $175.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.44. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $249.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $269.96.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The company had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.19 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.93 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of a number of research reports. HC Wainwright set a $250.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Gordon Haskett reduced their price objective on McDonald’s from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $310.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $286.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $295.64.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.