AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Sells 46,882 Shares of McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• AustralianSuper Pty Ltd sharply reduced its McDonald’s stake in the fourth quarter, selling 46,882 shares and cutting its position by 85.2%. After the sale, it held 8,168 shares worth about $2.5 million.
• McDonald’s recently reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter, with EPS of $2.83 versus the $2.74 estimate and revenue of $6.52 billion, up 9.4% year over year. Despite that, the stock has been trading near its 52-week low range.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $334.45. However, some firms have recently cut targets and issued more cautious ratings.

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd reduced its position in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 85.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,168 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 46,882 shares during the quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd's holdings in McDonald's were worth $2,496,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in McDonald's by 171.7% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $913,157,000 after buying an additional 1,974,998 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in McDonald's by 36.6% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,396,837 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $1,336,155,000 after buying an additional 1,179,244 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in McDonald's by 111.3% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,071,296 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $629,446,000 after buying an additional 1,090,849 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in McDonald's by 927.5% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 827,547 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $251,483,000 after buying an additional 927,547 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its position in McDonald's by 766.5% in the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 885,629 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $269,134,000 after buying an additional 783,416 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Tigress Financial raised their price target on McDonald's from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $350.00 price target on McDonald's in a research report on Friday, May 8th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on McDonald's from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on McDonald's from $355.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on McDonald's from $330.00 to $305.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $334.45.

McDonald's Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:MCD opened at $276.42 on Friday. McDonald's Corporation has a twelve month low of $271.98 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $196.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $304.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $310.02.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.67 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald's

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.00, for a total transaction of $806,182.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,578,800. This trade represents a 23.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, 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 firm'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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,119 shares of company stock worth $3,945,973. Insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Key McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts and market commentators argue that McDonald’s looks oversold and inexpensive relative to its historical valuation, with strong fundamentals and long-term growth prospects potentially supporting a rebound. McDonald's Is the Cheapest It’s Been in Years—Does That Make It a Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s landed a major naming-rights deal for the Chicago Fire stadium, which adds brand visibility and reinforces the company’s deep marketing reach. McDonald's Lands Naming Rights Deal for $750 Million Chicago Fire Stadium
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s remains a widely watched dividend stalwart, with its long record of shareholder payouts keeping it on income investors’ radar. Don’t Look Now, But 4 Blue-Chip Giants Could Be the Newest Dividend Kings
• Neutral Sentiment: News coverage also highlights that McDonald’s is a trending stock and a subject of debate among investors, but this mostly reflects attention rather than a clear new catalyst. McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Attention is centered on weaker U.S. company-run restaurant margins, with investors worried about pricing pressure, cost inflation, and the ownership mix affecting profitability. McDonald's Company-Run Margins Draw Focus: Can Ownership Mix Help?
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and others points to the stock’s recent weakness, with concerns that McDonald’s has been “breaking down” despite being a defensive name. Jim Cramer on McDonald’s: “QSR I Think Is the Better”
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer cost pressures, including rising restaurant prices and higher gas prices, may weigh on traffic and spending at quick-service restaurants like McDonald’s. Grocery and Restaurant Prices Post Biggest Jump Since 2022

McDonald's Profile

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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