Banco Santander S.A. Purchases 27,397 Shares of McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• Banco Santander S.A. boosted its McDonald’s stake by 58.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 27,397 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 74,351 shares worth about $22.7 million.
• McDonald’s reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.83 versus $2.74 expected and revenue of $6.52 billion, up 9.4% from a year earlier.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share, implying a 2.6% yield, while analysts remain generally positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $336.26.

Banco Santander S.A. grew its position in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 58.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,351 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after acquiring an additional 27,397 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $22,724,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its stake in shares of McDonald's by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 8,848 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,704,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. purchased a new stake in McDonald's in the fourth quarter worth $9,621,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its position in McDonald's by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 22,251 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $6,801,000 after buying an additional 861 shares during the last quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 60.3% in the fourth quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC now owns 194,919 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $59,573,000 after buying an additional 73,331 shares during the period. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 74,557 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $22,787,000 after buying an additional 7,686 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McDonald's Stock Up 0.0%

McDonald's stock opened at $284.88 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $289.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $306.75. McDonald's Corporation has a twelve month low of $271.85 and a twelve month high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $202.41 billion, a PE ratio of 23.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. McDonald's's revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.67 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is 61.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $370.00 price target on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Argus raised 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 report on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of McDonald's from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Guggenheim reduced 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 report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their price target on shares of McDonald's from $345.00 to $330.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $336.26.

Key McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted McDonald’s as a “rare mega-cap” with accelerating fundamentals, citing 3.8% global comparable sales growth, more than $9 billion in loyalty sales over 90 days, and 9.4% year-over-year revenue growth, which supports the bull case for the stock. McDonald’s Will Trade at This Price in 2028
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing AI-powered drive-thru ordering, and early results from a million orders appear promising; if rolled out successfully, this could improve efficiency and margins over time. McDonald’s Is Letting AI Take Your Orders Again. A Million Orders Later, the Results Look Promising.
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional activity tied to FIFA World Cup meals, collectible cups, and Squishmallows could help drive customer traffic and add some sales momentum. McDonald's FIFA World Cup meals with Squishmallows and 9 collectible cups are here
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains generally supportive, with reports noting McDonald’s continues to attract attention as a defensive, widely followed stock. McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by executive Joseph Erlinger may weigh on sentiment slightly, even though such sales do not necessarily reflect a change in business outlook. Joseph Erlinger Sells 5,252 Shares of McDonald's NYSE: MCD Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent coverage has also raised concerns about customer pushback on operational changes and workplace safety issues, which could create headline risk if they persist. Should McDonald’s AI Drive Thru Push and Safety Scrutiny Require Action From McDonald’s (MCD) Investors?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McDonald's news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 11,307 shares of company stock worth $3,262,622 over the last three months. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.