McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Acquired by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,353,113 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,210 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $413,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. DecisionPoint Financial LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Painted Porch Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 735.7% in the third quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.00, for a total value of $806,182.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,578,800. This trade represents a 23.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, 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. Insiders sold 12,119 shares of company stock worth $3,945,973 in the last ninety days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MCD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $334.45.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $282.34 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $200.61 billion, a PE ratio of 23.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $303.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $309.85. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $271.98 and a 12 month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.94 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said McDonald’s is well positioned for global market-share gains, reinforcing the view that the company’s scale, brand power, and international footprint can help it outperform rivals. McDonald’s Seen Well-Positioned for Global Market-Share Gains, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to highlight value and menu innovation, including Extra Value Meals and a new under-$3 menu, which analysts viewed as helping the chain regain share among budget-conscious customers. 5 Insightful Analyst Questions From McDonald’s’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s brand-building efforts, including a Nike co-branded sneaker launch and localized menu marketing such as the Spam McMuffin in Hawaii, underscore the company’s cultural relevance and ability to drive engagement. McDonald’s Tests Brand Power With Nike Tie In And Spam McMuffin
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies updated its list of highest-conviction buy-rated stocks, which may include McDonald’s, but the article does not provide enough detail here to assess a direct stock impact. Jefferies updates its list of highest-conviction Buy-rated stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2026 EPS forecast for McDonald’s, suggesting analysts see some pressure on earnings expectations. McDonald’s FY2026 EPS Forecast Lowered by Erste Group Bank
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent commentary also highlighted softer consumer spending and reduced dining-out frequency, which can weigh on traffic and same-store sales for McDonald’s. Is McDonald’s an Undervalued Dividend Stock to Buy?

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.