McDonald's Corporation $MCD Holdings Decreased by KBC Group NV

Key Points

• KBC Group NV trimmed its McDonald's stake by 3.1% in Q4, selling 4,680 shares and leaving 143,905 shares worth ~$43.98 million, while several other large institutions materially increased their holdings — institutional ownership stands at 70.29%.
• McDonald's beat Q4 estimates, reporting $3.12 EPS vs. $3.05 expected and $7.01B revenue (up 9.7% YoY), with a market cap of $218.3B, P/E of 25.7, and a quarterly dividend of $1.86 ($7.44 annual, yield 2.4%).
• Insider selling and mixed analyst views: corporate insiders sold ~71,657 shares (~$23.7M) in the past 90 days, and analysts are split — the consensus rating is "Hold" with an average target of $339.69 despite several recent upgrades and higher price targets.

KBC Group NV trimmed its position in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 143,905 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 4,680 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in McDonald's were worth $43,981,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MCD. Viking Global Investors LP increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 171.7% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $913,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 36.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,396,837 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,336,155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,179,244 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 111.3% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,071,296 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $629,446,000 after acquiring an additional 1,090,849 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 927.5% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 827,547 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $251,483,000 after acquiring an additional 927,547 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in McDonald's by 766.5% in the third quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 885,629 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $269,134,000 after acquiring an additional 783,416 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald's Price Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $307.11 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $218.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $319.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $311.70. McDonald's Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.75.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The firm's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald's news, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,291 shares in the company, 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 71,657 shares of company stock valued at $23,723,307 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.25% 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 launching a broad specialty beverage push (handcrafted/“dirty” sodas, refreshers, energy drinks and new flavors) that could lift average check, frequency and margins if customers trade up to higher-priced drinks. Is McDonald's Big Beverage Push Good or Bad for Dutch Bros?
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage noted McDonald’s outperformed the broader market in the latest session, reflecting investor appetite for the company’s growth initiatives and defensive franchise model. McDonald's (MCD) Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: An independent McDonald’s owner-operator (Kaufman Enterprises) is launching a customer-insight initiative to refine guest experience — a localized operational improvement that supports service/retention but has limited system-wide immediate impact. Independent McDonald's Owner-Operator Kaufman Enterprises Advances Guest Experience...
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis flags McDonald’s long-term growth plan (targeting more stores and continued dividend strength) but also warns mounting risks — a balanced view that supports long-term appeal while calling out execution/margin pressures. McDonald's: On Track To 50,000 Stores And Dividend King Status, But Risks Are Mounting
• Negative Sentiment: Cattle and beef futures have surged (~25% Y/Y), which raises the risk of higher input costs for beef items and could compress restaurant margins if price increases can’t be fully passed to consumers. Cattle prices soar to record highs as grilling season heats up
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive moves (value/menu upgrades from casual-dining and other chains) increase pressure on traffic and pricing; McDonald’s must balance value promotions with margin management. Chili's declares war on McDonald's with new menu items

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Argus raised shares of McDonald's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $380.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of McDonald's from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of McDonald's from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on McDonald's from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on McDonald's from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $339.69.

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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