CCLA Investment Management Reduces Position in McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• CCLA Investment Management trimmed its stake in McDonald's by 1.8% in Q4, selling 5,698 shares and ending the quarter with 304,737 shares valued at about $93.14 million.
• Company insiders, notably CEO Christopher Kempczinski and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley, sold substantial positions (26,277 and 4,692 shares respectively), with insiders disposing of 71,657 shares worth roughly $23.7 million over the last 90 days.
• McDonald's beat recent quarterly estimates (EPS $3.12 vs. $3.05; revenue $7.01B, up 9.7% y/y), pays a $1.86 quarterly dividend (2.4% yield), and faces mixed analyst coverage with an average target of $339.69 (17 Buys, 13 Holds, 2 Sells).

CCLA Investment Management reduced its stake in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 304,737 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 5,698 shares during the quarter. CCLA Investment Management's holdings in McDonald's were worth $93,136,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald's by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in McDonald's by 95.7% in the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald's by 735.7% in the 3rd quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in McDonald's in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in McDonald's in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Oppenheimer raised McDonald's from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Tigress Financial upped their price target on McDonald's from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group upped their price target on McDonald's from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $340.00 price target on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on McDonald's from $340.00 to $354.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald's has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $339.69.

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total value of $8,706,883.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,587,915. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.25% of the company's stock.

McDonald's Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $307.48 on Thursday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $321.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $311.66. McDonald's Corporation has a one year low of $283.47 and a one year high of $341.75. The firm has a market cap of $218.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. McDonald's's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Trending Headlines about McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says digital channels (app, delivery, kiosks, loyalty) now represent a meaningful share of systemwide sales, supporting higher engagement and longer‑term margin/leverage potential. Will McDonald's Digital Sales Mix Drive Its Next Phase of Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald's expanded its value strategy (new Under‑$3 items, $4 breakfast, $5–$6 bundles / McValue 2.0) to protect traffic as consumers tighten budgets — a defensive move likely to support same‑store sales in a weaker consumer environment. McDonald’s is adding value meals as food prices continue to rise
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Erste Group nudged up its FY2027 EPS estimate and maintains a Buy rating, which can boost investor confidence versus consensus estimates. (Research note cited by market coverage.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Pop‑culture promos (KPop “Demon Hunters” meal) are generating engagement and secondary revenue from collectible card resale markets — these campaigns raise traffic and earned media but have mixed and hard‑to‑quantify sales impact. Cards from McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters meal sell online. Is yours rare?
• Neutral Sentiment: Extensive media coverage of the CEO’s viral taste‑test video and his subsequent responses has kept McDonald's in the headlines; this generates short‑term noise but so far limited evidence of sustainable traffic impact. The Economic Divide Behind That McDonald's CEO Viral Video
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing PR friction from the viral CEO clip and follow‑up coverage could dent brand sentiment among some customers and create earnings risk if the story lingers. McDonald’s CEO Breaks Silence With Response to Viral Backlash
• Negative Sentiment: A rival franchisee has filed Chapter 11 (65 restaurants at risk), highlighting margin and credit stress in parts of the quick‑service ecosystem that could pressure local franchise dynamics. McDonald's rival franchisee files Chapter 11, 65 restaurants at risk
• Negative Sentiment: Recent intraday weakness and a small pullback in the prior session show investors are watching short‑term headlines; that volatility could persist until the market fully digests the value push and digital acceleration. McDonald's (MCD) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

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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