McDonald's Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by AE Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• AE Wealth Management cut its stake by 10.0% in McDonald's in Q4, selling 31,748 shares and leaving 285,193 shares valued at about $87.16 million at the end of the period.
• Significant insider selling occurred this quarter: CEO Christopher Kemp­czinski sold 26,277 shares and EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares, with insiders disposing of 71,657 shares worth roughly $23.7 million in total.
• McDonald's beat estimates, reporting $3.12 EPS vs. $3.05 expected and $7.01 billion in revenue (up 9.7% Y/Y), declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (annualized $7.44, yield 2.4%), and carries a consensus "Hold" price target of $339.69.

AE Wealth Management LLC cut its stake in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 10.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 285,193 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 31,748 shares during the quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC's holdings in McDonald's were worth $87,163,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Painted Porch Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 735.7% during the 3rd quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of McDonald's during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of McDonald's during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald's News Summary

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the 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 directly owned 2,291 shares in the company, valued at approximately $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owned 22,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,587,915. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 71,657 shares of company stock valued at $23,723,307. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 target price on McDonald's in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays increased their price objective on McDonald's from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Argus raised McDonald's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $380.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on McDonald's from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald's currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $339.69.

McDonald's Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $307.11 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $319.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $311.70. The stock has a market cap of $218.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.70, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald's Corporation has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $341.75.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The company's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

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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