Diversified Enterprises LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD – Free Report) by 67.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,896 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the period. Diversified Enterprises LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $2,108,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $43,606,000 after buying an additional 3,774 shares in the last quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,120,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 317.2% in the 3rd quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 19,079 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,691,000 after buying an additional 14,506 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,533,015 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $465,868,000 after purchasing an additional 37,744 shares during the period. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,029,572 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $312,877,000 after purchasing an additional 51,039 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s
Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:
- Positive Sentiment: New nationwide value menu and $3 menu rollout should support traffic and AUVs by making pricing more competitive and simplifying promotional offers. McDonald’s new value menu debuts today
- Positive Sentiment: Menu revamp across ~17 items and added “protein” badges responds to shifting consumer demand (incl. GLP‑1 trends) — this product alignment can protect menu relevance and sales per guest. McDonald’s revamps menu across 17 items as GLP-1 use surges
- Positive Sentiment: New promotional tie-ins (Stranger Things Happy Meal) and refreshed beverage/soda items are near-term demand drivers and brand-relevance plays. McDonald’s introducing new ‘Stranger Things’ Happy Meal
- Positive Sentiment: Company added more U.S. restaurants in 2025 than any year since 2002 — a renewal of unit-growth tailwinds after a low-growth period. McDonald’s added a lot of new U.S. restaurants in 2025
- Neutral Sentiment: Some models still target upside (24/7 Wall St. $341 PT) but note execution “cracks” — mixed signals for valuation drivers. McDonald’s Price Target Hits $341—But Cracks Are Starting to Show
- Neutral Sentiment: RBC expects Q1 roughly in line with Street — reduces the chance of a major earnings surprise in the near term. McDonald’s Seen Posting Largely In-Line First-Quarter Results, RBC Says
- Neutral Sentiment: Options commentary suggests retail traders see limited downside and are selling premium via spreads — market participants positioning for muted volatility. Selling A Spread On McDonald’s Stock Could Deliver A Big Mac-Sized Return
- Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: President of McDonald’s USA, Joseph M. Erlinger, sold 333 shares (~$100.8k) — small in scale but visible to investors and sometimes viewed as a mild negative signal. Insider Form 4 filing
- Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp lowered expectations for MCD’s stock price — an analyst downgrade or lower target can weigh on sentiment. KeyCorp Lowers Expectations
- Negative Sentiment: Brand/IP risk: USPTO has questioned McDonald’s attempt to reclaim “Extra Value Meal” as a trademark — potential loss of branding control on a core promotional term. McDonald’s fights to win back ‘Extra Value Meal’ moniker
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory / reputational watch: equality watchdog says work with McDonald’s on sexual‑harassment prevention is “ongoing,” signalling potential reputational or compliance risk. Equality watchdog update
McDonald’s Stock Performance
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
McDonald’s Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.93.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MCD
Insider Activity at McDonald’s
In other news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 71,990 shares of company stock worth $23,824,113. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
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.
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