Benjamin Edwards Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. cut its stake in McDonald's by 3.5% in Q4, selling 8,399 shares and leaving it with 230,757 shares worth about $70.56 million (≈0.8% of its portfolio; the firm's 20th largest holding).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: McDonald's has a consensus rating of "Hold" (16 Buys, 15 Holds, 1 Sell) with a consensus price target of $340.93, and the company recently beat Q4 earnings with $3.12 EPS.
• Significant insider and institutional activity: insiders sold 71,990 shares (~$23.8 million) last quarter, while hedge funds and other institutions collectively own about 70.29% of the company.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 230,757 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 8,399 shares during the period. McDonald's accounts for about 0.8% of Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $70,559,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WD Rutherford LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald's by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. WD Rutherford LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $991,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in McDonald's by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,102 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $642,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in McDonald's by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,032 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $3,352,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. CFO4Life Group LLC lifted its stake in McDonald's by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 1,669 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $507,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, American National Bank of Texas lifted its stake in McDonald's by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. American National Bank of Texas now owns 1,191 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $364,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $335.00 to $334.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Tigress Financial lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald's has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $340.93.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s rolled out an all‑purple “Grimace” menu and relaunched the viral Grimace milkshake — a pop‑culture promotion expected to drive short‑term foot traffic and social‑media buzz, which can lift same‑store sales and AUVs. McDonald’s unveils purple Grimace menu featuring viral milkshake comeback
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is pushing a new lineup of six hand‑crafted drinks (boba, “dirty” sodas and themed accessories). Management’s beverage push targets a high‑margin category and supports the broader thesis that drinks can be a multi‑billion growth engine for the chain. McDonald’s drops 6 new drinks with unusual accessories
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion news — a new McDonald’s site planned in Rockford — signals steady franchise development but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. New McDonald’s to be built on W. Riverside in Rockford
• Negative Sentiment: A widely circulated idea of a $20 “unlimited fries” subscription was fact‑checked and found to be inaccurate — removing a potential recurring‑revenue catalyst investors may have hoped for. Fact check: Is McDonald’s launching $20 subscription with unlimited fries?
• Negative Sentiment: The Street reports McDonald’s is adjusting menu “protein hacks” as beef prices rise — higher commodity costs pose a margin risk even as the company seeks menu workarounds. McDonald’s reveals protein hacks as beef prices rise
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate and downgraded MCD to a “Hold,” a mild analyst headwind that can weigh on sentiment. McDonald's NYSE: MCD Cut to "Hold" at Erste Group Bank

McDonald's Price Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $286.83 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $203.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $314.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $311.73. McDonald's Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $341.75.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald's's payout ratio is 62.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $763,567.39. The trade was a 73.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total transaction of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 71,990 shares of company stock valued at $23,824,113 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

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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