McDonald's Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group trimmed its McDonald's stake by 4.1%, selling 85,467 shares and now owns about 1,982,782 shares valued at roughly $606 million (0.28% of the company).
• McDonald's Q4 results beat expectations — $3.12 EPS vs. $3.05 and $7.01B revenue (up 9.7% y/y) — and several analysts raised price targets, while MarketBeat's consensus rating remains a "Hold" with a $339.69 target.
• Insider selling has been active: insiders disposed of 71,657 shares worth about $23.7 million in the last three months, leaving insiders with roughly 0.25% ownership.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lowered its holdings in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,982,782 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 85,467 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.28% of McDonald's worth $605,998,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC grew its position 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Park Place Capital Corp raised 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 worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Painted Porch Advisors LLC boosted its position in McDonald's by 735.7% during the third quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in McDonald's in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in McDonald's in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MCD has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on McDonald's from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald's in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of McDonald's from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of McDonald's from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald's has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $339.69.

McDonald's Stock Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $305.64 on Friday. McDonald's Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $321.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $311.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $217.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.58, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last issued 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 company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.83 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised earnings estimates for McDonald’s, which supports near-term analyst sentiment and valuation models. Erste Group Bank Increases Earnings Estimates for McDonald's
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 benchmarking coverage highlights McDonald’s solid Q4 results (revenue and EPS beats), reinforcing the company’s resilient margins and franchise model—important fundamentals for medium-term investors. Traditional Fast Food Stocks Q4 Results: Benchmarking McDonald's NYSE: MCD
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is a featured participant in a major sustainability summit alongside PepsiCo and Walmart, which may help with ESG positioning and institutional investor interest. PepsiCo, Walmart and McDonald's to Lead US Sustainability Summit Programme
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and Yahoo finance pieces note MCD as a “trending” stock and highlight metrics investors watch (earnings momentum, Zacks ESP); useful context but not a direct catalyst. Here is What to Know Beyond Why McDonald's Corporation (MCD) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on whether Warren Buffett owns McDonald’s provides background on investor interest but doesn’t imply immediate buying pressure. Is Warren Buffett Invested in McDonald’s?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing collaborations (e.g., K-pop partnership) are brand-building initiatives that could boost traffic among younger demographics over time. KPop Demon Hunters X McDonald’s X VANDYTHEPINK Collab Coming To Complex
• Negative Sentiment: Repeated viral coverage criticizing the CEO’s on-camera bite and etiquette has generated negative PR; while largely reputational, it can weigh on sentiment and retail investor reactions in the short term. McDonald’s CEO roasted yet again for eating on-camera
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive stories highlighting Burger King’s product revamp and market wins raise concerns about share dynamics in key segments—could pressure same-store sales expectations if sustained. How Burger King is beating McDonald’s with revamped Whopper

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.34, for a total value of $862,220.84. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,733 shares in the company, valued at $2,867,393.22. This trade represents a 23.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company's stock.

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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