Danske Bank A S Reduces Holdings in McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S cut its McDonald's stake by 20.4% in Q4, selling 90,619 shares and leaving it with 353,420 shares valued at $108,016,000.
• Analyst coverage is mixed: the consensus rating is "Hold" with a $340.93 average price target (16 Buys, 15 Holds, 1 Sell), though some firms like Argus and Citigroup recently raised targets or ratings.
• McDonald's beat quarterly estimates with $3.12 EPS vs. $3.05 and revenue of $7.01 billion (+9.7% YoY), and declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (≈2.5% yield).

Danske Bank A S decreased its holdings in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 20.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 353,420 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 90,619 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S's holdings in McDonald's were worth $108,016,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $43,606,000 after buying an additional 3,774 shares in the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 317.2% in the 3rd quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 19,079 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $5,691,000 after buying an additional 14,506 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,533,015 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $465,868,000 after buying an additional 37,744 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,029,572 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $312,877,000 after buying an additional 51,039 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald's in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,697,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MCD. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $340.00 target price on shares of McDonald's in a report on Thursday, February 12th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 target price on shares of McDonald's in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of McDonald's from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $340.93.

McDonald's Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $293.95 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $314.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $311.73. McDonald's Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $208.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. McDonald's's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 13.21 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald's

In other McDonald's news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total transaction of $8,764,097.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,638,066. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 71,990 shares of company stock worth $23,824,113 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald's is rolling out a national lineup of handcrafted drinks (including specialty "dirty sodas" and limited-edition Grimace Shake returns) as the company pushes beverages as a major growth opportunity — coverage frames this as a potential multi‑billion-dollar (even cited as a $100B) revenue opportunity that could boost average check and traffic if successful. McDonald’s Is Turning Drinks Into a $100 Billion Opportunity—Here’s What’s on the New Menu
• Positive Sentiment: Local and national press coverage of the new drink lineup and limited-edition merchandising (carriers, promotional items) is generating consumer buzz that may help near‑term comps and marketing ROI. These 6 new hand-crafted drinks are coming to McDonald’s nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes McDonald's outpaced the broader market in today’s session — much of the move appears driven by the beverage rollout headlines and general investor rotation into consumer names. Why McDonald's (MCD) Outpaced the Stock Market Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Arcos Dorados (ARCO), the largest McDonald’s franchisee in Latin America, filed its Form 20‑F — routine disclosure for a major regional operator; not an immediate indicator for MCD’s corporate fundamentals but relevant for LATAM exposure. Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. Announces the Filing of Its Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and market pieces asking whether to reassess McDonald's after a recent pullback highlight mixed sentiment: long‑term thesis remains intact for many, but near‑term valuation and growth expectations are under review. Is It Time To Reassess McDonald's (MCD) After The Recent Share Price Pullback?
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group cut its rating to "Hold" and slightly trimmed FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts — a signal that at least one sell‑side shop sees limited near‑term upside, which can cap rally momentum if other analysts follow. McDonald's NYSE: MCD Cut to "Hold" at Erste Group Bank
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks' preview flags McDonald's may lack the right setup for an imminent earnings beat, suggesting expectations are mixed and a disappointing print could reverse some of today's gains. McDonald's (MCD) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

McDonald's Company 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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