Benjamin Edwards Inc. Sells 46,060 Shares of McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. reduced its McDonald’s stake by 20.7%, selling 46,060 shares in the second quarter and retaining 175,985 shares valued at approximately $47.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 70.29% of MCD.
• McDonald’s reported quarterly EPS of $3.38, beating estimates of $3.32, while revenue rose 3.7% year over year to $7.10 billion, slightly below expectations.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $322.96, despite several recent target reductions. Shares opened at $265.05, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share, yielding about 2.8%.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lessened its stake in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 175,985 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 46,060 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $47,596,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GTS Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 153.9% in the second quarter. GTS Securities LLC now owns 9,913 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,680,000 after purchasing an additional 6,009 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald's by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 5,750 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,554,000 after buying an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald's by 11.6% during the 2nd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 2,517 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $680,000 after buying an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Spinnaker Trust increased its stake in McDonald's by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Spinnaker Trust now owns 13,119 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $3,546,000 after acquiring an additional 401 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenwood Capital Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 23.4% during the 2nd quarter. Greenwood Capital Associates LLC now owns 29,711 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $8,031,000 after acquiring an additional 5,643 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In other McDonald's news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 34,703 MCD call options, approximately 34% above typical volume. The activity may indicate increased bullish speculation, though options flow alone does not confirm a sustained rally.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s benefited from a modest rebound in burger stocks as traders considered whether elevated short interest could contribute to a short squeeze. Wendy’s Climbs 4%, McDonald’s Ticks Up: Is Short Interest Setting Up a Squeeze in the Burger Trade?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is bringing back Spicy McNuggets on September 1 after a two-year absence, alongside other limited-time menu items and seasonal coffee promotions. These launches could support traffic and customer engagement, although their financial impact is likely modest. McDonald’s to Bring Back Spicy McNuggets
• Positive Sentiment: A consumer survey again ranked McDonald’s fries ahead of major competitors, reinforcing the brand’s strong customer recognition. A Hello Kitty and Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may provide additional promotional appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparisons with Domino’s highlight McDonald’s global expansion, digital initiatives and customer-engagement efforts, but do not represent a new company-specific catalyst. McDonald’s vs. Domino’s: Which Stock Has Better Growth Prospects?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about a fake McDonald’s support bot promising free premium AI tools appear to be a scam warning rather than an operating or earnings development.
• Negative Sentiment: Argus lowered its McDonald’s price target to $310, signaling more limited near-term upside despite the target remaining above the current market level. Argus Lowers McDonald’s Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s slipped with other burger stocks after takeover speculation surrounding Wendy’s faded, removing a sector-wide catalyst. Separately, commentary pointing to weakening consumer conditions raises concerns about pressure on traffic and value-focused spending, though the claim is not a formal company forecast.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp cut their target price on shares of McDonald's from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of McDonald's from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of McDonald's from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $286.00 price target on McDonald's in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.96.

McDonald's Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $265.05 on Friday. McDonald's Corporation has a 12 month low of $259.85 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $187.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.53, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41. The firm's 50-day moving average is $270.67 and its 200 day moving average is $291.72.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. McDonald's's payout ratio is presently 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.

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