McDonald's Corporation $MCD Shares Purchased by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

Key Points

• First Citizens Bank & Trust increased its McDonald’s stake by 42.3% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 19,067 shares valued at approximately $4.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 70.29% of MCD.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $295.94, despite several firms recently lowering their targets.
• McDonald’s reported quarterly EPS of $3.38, exceeding estimates, and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.93, equivalent to a 3.2% annualized yield. However, weaker U.S. sales and a roughly 23% six-month share-price decline remain concerns.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its position in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 42.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,067 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after acquiring an additional 5,667 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $4,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. State Street Corp grew its position in McDonald's by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,080,505 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $9,752,921,000 after purchasing an additional 646,675 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's in the second quarter worth $1,359,276,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of McDonald's by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,637,785 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,130,587,000 after purchasing an additional 533,448 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in McDonald's by 30,979.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $806,917,000 after buying an additional 2,587,986 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its holdings in McDonald's by 9,867.5% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $776,608,000 after purchasing an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MCD shares. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Tigress Financial upped their price objective on McDonald's from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. HC Wainwright set a $250.00 target price on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on McDonald's from $325.00 to $295.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on McDonald's from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $295.94.

Trending Headlines about McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: Turnaround spending could support long-term sales. McDonald’s has outlined an approximately $8.5 billion franchisee-support and restaurant-modernization plan through 2036. The company is also pursuing more personalized digital offers, value meals and streamlined marketing to improve customer engagement after recent promotions underperformed. McDonald’s Trades at 18 Times Earnings McDonald’s Marketing Reset
• Positive Sentiment: Technology investments may improve operations. Reports describe plans involving AI-powered drive-thru technology, including a system called Archy, as part of the broader restaurant overhaul. Successful deployment could improve speed, labor efficiency and order accuracy, although a previous AI test was discontinued. McDonald’s AI Drive-Thru Overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst valuation remains above the current share price. A reported consensus target price of $295.94 indicates meaningful potential upside if McDonald’s executes its recovery strategy. McDonald’s Consensus Target Price
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest session’s increase contrasted with a difficult medium-term trend. MCD closed at $238.31 after gaining in the session, but shares have fallen roughly 23% over six months. At about 19 times earnings, investors are weighing a potentially attractive entry valuation against uncertain earnings growth. McDonald’s Increases Despite Market Slip
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and promotional initiatives continue. McDonald’s is extending grassroots football sponsorships and may bring back Halloween Boo Buckets featuring Disney villains. These efforts could support traffic and brand engagement, but their financial effect is likely limited. McDonald’s Grassroots Football Commitment
• Negative Sentiment: Weak U.S. sales and value-menu execution remain key concerns. Coverage points to softer domestic demand and lower earnings estimates, raising doubts about whether the turnaround investments can produce sufficient returns. Erste Group also modestly reduced its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts. McDonald’s Stock Down 23 Percent
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and reputational risks add uncertainty. McDonald’s faces a reported class-action lawsuit alleging issues with AI-based menu pricing, while poor customer ratings at individual restaurants could weigh on perceptions of service quality. McDonald’s AI Menu Pricing Lawsuit

McDonald's Price Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $238.16 on Thursday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $253.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $272.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $168.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.44. McDonald's Corporation has a 1-year low of $229.20 and a 1-year high of $341.75.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm's revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $1.93 dividend. This is a boost from McDonald's's previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. McDonald's's payout ratio is 60.44%.

About McDonald's

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.

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