McDonald's Corporation $MCD Stock Sold by Welch & Forbes LLC

Key Points

• Welch & Forbes reduced its McDonald’s stake by 1.9%, selling 5,629 shares and retaining 293,303 shares valued at about $67.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.29% of the stock.
• McDonald’s quarterly earnings were stronger than expected: EPS was $3.57 versus a $3.38 estimate, while revenue of $7.16 billion fell short of forecasts. U.S. guest counts remain under pressure.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend from $1.86 to $1.93 per share, equivalent to $7.72 annually and a 2.7% yield.

Welch & Forbes LLC cut its stake in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 293,303 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 5,629 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC's holdings in McDonald's were worth $67,735,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Texas Bank & Trust Co increased its position in McDonald's by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Texas Bank & Trust Co now owns 11,603 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $2,680,000 after acquiring an additional 422 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 365,540.7% during the third quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 98,723 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $22,799,000 after purchasing an additional 98,696 shares during the period. AlphaCore Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 0.9% during the third quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 19,788 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $4,570,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 133.2% during the third quarter. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP now owns 8,170 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $1,912,000 after purchasing an additional 4,667 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald's by 4.5% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 196,396 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $45,531,000 after purchasing an additional 8,482 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s Q3 earnings beat expectations, and management pointed to cost discipline, refranchising and targeted digital promotions as drivers of stronger profitability. The earnings response was positive, although revenue fell short of forecasts. The top 5 analyst questions from McDonald's Q3 2026 earnings call
• Positive Sentiment: The company and Uber are expanding their delivery partnership across 14 markets, adding in-app ordering and cross-platform loyalty benefits that could support order volume and customer engagement. McDonald's Expands Uber Partnership in 14 Markets
• Positive Sentiment: A Pokémon Happy Meal promotion could provide a short-term traffic draw, though its financial impact is not yet clear. McDonald's, Pokémon team for Happy Meal
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing a low-priced bundle in about 1,900 U.S. restaurants as it adjusts deals for increasingly price-conscious customers. The test may help traffic, but its results will be important to watch. MCD Stock Outlook: Wall Street Eyes a Potential Upside Breakout After Q3 Results
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. guest counts are still falling, and the latest revenue missed expectations. Analysts and commentary warn that higher average checks have not yet demonstrated a sustainable recovery in visits. McDonald’s Is Rethinking Its Deals as Customers Get Pickier About Prices
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary argues the post-earnings rebound may be pricing in a turnaround before traffic and cash-flow improvement are firmly established. McDonald's: The Earnings Bounce Is Pricing In A Turnaround That Hasn't Happened Yet

McDonald's Stock Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $281.54 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $249.09 and its 200-day moving average is $282.45. McDonald's Corporation has a 52 week low of $229.20 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The firm has a market cap of $199.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.42.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.19. McDonald's had a net margin of 32.38% and a negative return on equity of 671.56%. The company had revenue of $7.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.22 earnings per share. McDonald's's revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.88 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.93 per share. This represents a $7.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This is an increase from McDonald's's previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on McDonald's from $301.00 to $273.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on McDonald's from $285.00 to $250.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Gordon Haskett cut their target price on McDonald's from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Evercore reduced their price target on McDonald's from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Melius Research decreased their price target on McDonald's from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald's presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $297.82.

McDonald's Profile

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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