Erste Asset Management GmbH Sells 35,886 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Erste Asset Management GmbH cut its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 84.1% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 6,780 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 35,886 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,854,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 3,294.5% during the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 11,779 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,600,000 after buying an additional 11,432 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.4% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,853,000 after acquiring an additional 16,252 shares during the period. Capital International Sarl lifted its position in McDonald’s by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 64,256 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $19,639,000 after acquiring an additional 6,079 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $7,493,000. Finally, Pittenger & Anderson Inc. lifted its position in McDonald’s by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 21,487 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 3,866 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is emphasizing lower-priced meals to win back cost-conscious customers, a potentially supportive strategy as consumers increasingly prioritize value. McDonald’s is betting on cheaper meals to win back customers
• Positive Sentiment: New growth initiatives include Red Bull energy drinks, additional beverages and limited-time menu items. These products could increase traffic and average spending while supporting a simpler restaurant operating model. McDonald’s bringing Red Bull drinks and new sodas to US customers
• Positive Sentiment: The Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may generate customer interest and family traffic when it launches, although its financial impact is likely limited. McDonald’s Announces Eight Hello Kitty x Godzilla Toys
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings showed adjusted EPS of $3.38, above expectations, while revenue of $7.10 billion was slightly below consensus. Management acknowledged inconsistent value-menu execution and excessive operational complexity, making successful implementation of the turnaround strategy critical. Five Insightful Analyst Questions From McDonald’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s is reportedly losing ground to Burger King and other low-cost alternatives, including gas-station food, as customers seek cheaper meals. Slowing second-quarter sales growth raises concerns about U.S. traffic and market share. The burger wars are heating up as McDonald’s loses ground
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast, adding to investor concerns about earnings growth. McDonald’s FY2027 EPS Forecast Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that McDonald’s maintained a 515-page customer dossier could create privacy and reputational risks, though the immediate financial effect is unclear. McDonald’s customer dossier report

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This trade represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 8,348 shares of company stock worth $2,355,634 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $295.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $325.44.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.1%

McDonald’s stock opened at $272.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $192.91 billion, a PE ratio of 22.15, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $260.96 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $273.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $295.28.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The company had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.44%.

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.