McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock: Payden & Rygel Decreases Stake

Payden & Rygel lessened its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 82.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,600 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 31,700 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,524,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,359,276,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 132.1% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,325,880 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $412,071,000 after buying an additional 754,596 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in McDonald’s by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,080,505 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $9,752,921,000 after buying an additional 646,675 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 17.2% during 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. Finally, Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 23,222.1% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 478,103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $129,236,000 after acquiring an additional 476,053 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on MCD. DZ Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Freedom Capital raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Tigress Financial increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $301.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.73.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $258.15 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $248.26 and a 200 day moving average of $283.44. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $229.20 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The firm has a market cap of $182.68 billion, a PE ratio of 20.97, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.44.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced 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 net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The company had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $1.93 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests McDonald’s stock, which has fallen sharply this year amid weakness in consumer-discretionary shares, may be positioned for a rebound. The recent recovery could attract value-oriented investors if the company delivers resilient sales and cash flow. Mapping the Market: Beaten-down McDonald’s stock may be ripe for a rally
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals in November, featuring collectible toys and trading cards. The promotion could support customer traffic, family visits and near-term sales, although its impact is likely temporary. McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing on estimates for McDonald’s third-quarter 2026 revenue, earnings and operating metrics. The reports provide expectations rather than new company results, so the stock’s next major catalyst will be whether actual performance exceeds or falls short of those forecasts. Unveiling McDonald’s Q3 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: New holiday beverages and an $8 Quarter Pounder meal are scheduled for November. These value and seasonal offerings may help affordability perceptions and traffic, but investors will need evidence that promotions can improve demand without pressuring restaurant-level margins. McDonald’s adds new holiday drinks
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its McDonald’s price target from $290 to $260 and assigned a neutral rating, indicating limited expected upside from recent levels. The revision reinforces concerns about valuation and the durability of cash-flow growth. Mizuho McDonald’s rating
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage also questions whether McDonald’s current valuation already reflects its expected cash generation, while the stock remains materially below its level at the start of the year. A planned multibillion-dollar modernization and AI drive-through initiative could improve efficiency over time, but it also introduces execution and investment risks.

McDonald’s Company Profile

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.