McDonald's Corporation $MCD Stock Holdings Increased by Advisors Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its McDonald's stake by 5.6% in Q4 to 210,753 shares (about $64.41M), joining several large institutions that significantly increased positions — institutional investors now own 70.29% of MCD.
• McDonald's recently beat quarterly EPS estimates ($3.12 vs. $3.05) with revenue of $7.01B (+9.7% YoY) and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.86 (annualized $7.44, ~2.5% yield); the stock trades near $300 with a consensus target around $340.93.
• Despite institutional buying, insiders have been net sellers (71,990 shares worth ~$23.8M over three months), while analysts remain broadly positive (majority “Buy”/“Hold” ratings and targets ranging roughly $320–$375).

Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 210,753 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after acquiring an additional 11,135 shares during the period. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in McDonald's were worth $64,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Viking Global Investors LP raised its stake 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 worth $913,157,000 after buying an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake 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 worth $1,336,155,000 after buying an additional 1,179,244 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake 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 worth $629,446,000 after buying an additional 1,090,849 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake 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 worth $251,483,000 after buying an additional 927,547 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 766.5% in the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 885,629 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $269,134,000 after buying an additional 783,416 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about McDonald's

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company rolled out a nationwide value menu and sub‑$3 items intended to drive traffic and simplify promotions — a potentially material near‑term top‑line boost. McDonald’s new value menu debuts today
• Positive Sentiment: Menu revamp (≈17 items) and "protein" badges aim to keep menu relevant amid changing consumer trends (GLP‑1 impact), supporting average check and guest counts. McDonald’s revamps menu across 17 items
• Positive Sentiment: New promotional tie‑ins (Stranger Things Happy Meals) and refreshed beverages are low‑cost demand drivers that help maintain brand relevance and incremental sales. McDonald’s introducing new ‘Stranger Things’ Happy Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Franchise expansion: McDonald’s opened more U.S. restaurants in 2025 than any year since 2002 — supports long‑term unit growth and franchise economics. McDonald's added a lot of new U.S. restaurants in 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Some models still point to upside (24/7 Wall St. $341 PT) but flag "execution cracks" — supportive for medium‑term targets but mixed for near‑term momentum. McDonald’s Price Target Hits $341—But Cracks Are Starting to Show
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC sees Q1 roughly in line with consensus, reducing the chance of a major near‑term earnings surprise. McDonald's Seen Posting Largely In-Line First-Quarter Results, RBC Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and commentary show retail traders selling premium via spreads — market positioning implies limited downside expectations and muted volatility. Selling A Spread On McDonald's Stock Could Deliver A Big Mac-Sized Return
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Joseph M. Erlinger (President, McDonald’s USA) sold 333 shares (~$100.8k) — small in scale but visible to investors and sometimes interpreted as a mild negative signal. Insider Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Trademark/IP risk: USPTO has challenged McDonald’s attempt to reclaim “Extra Value Meal” — losing exclusive control over a core promotional term could complicate branding. McDonald's fights to win back ‘Extra Value Meal' moniker
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational watch: equality watchdog says work with McDonald’s on sexual‑harassment prevention is "ongoing," keeping reputational risk on investors' radars. Equality watchdog update

McDonald's Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $299.62 on Friday. McDonald's Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $212.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $317.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $311.94.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. McDonald's's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 13.22 EPS for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 2.5%. McDonald's's payout ratio is 62.26%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In other McDonald's news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at $1,755,699.50. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 71,990 shares of company stock worth $23,824,113. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on McDonald's from $354.00 to $345.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on McDonald's from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on McDonald's from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on McDonald's from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.93.

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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