QRG Capital Management Inc. Purchases 12,137 Shares of McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its McDonald’s stake by 13.8% in the first quarter, buying 12,137 more shares and bringing its total holdings to 100,057 shares worth about $31.1 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with funds like Vanguard, State Street, and Geode also adding to positions; overall, institutional investors now own 70.29% of McDonald’s stock.
• McDonald’s continues to draw support from its dividend appeal and upbeat analyst coverage, but some recent commentary points to margin pressure, softer traffic, and franchisee strain as ongoing headwinds.

QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 13.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 100,057 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after buying an additional 12,137 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $31,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in McDonald's by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after acquiring an additional 703,458 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in McDonald's by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $10,997,789,000 after purchasing an additional 959,140 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald's by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $5,195,965,000 after purchasing an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of McDonald's by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,895,768,000 after purchasing an additional 277,617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,890,438,000. 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: McDonald's stock was lifted by a UBS note highlighting it as an attractive defensive dividend name, helping support the shares as investors rotate toward stable cash-generating companies. Why McDonald's (MCD) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald's continues to appeal to income investors after its latest quarterly dividend, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most reliable dividend payers in the Dow. Despite Franchisees Struggling, McDonald's Dividend Keeps Rising
• Positive Sentiment: New menu and promotional chatter, including Happy Meal tie-ins, free fries offers, and added chicken items, could help drive customer engagement and traffic. BT21 Toys Teases Coming To McDonald's Happy Meals On July 14
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald's is also getting broader media attention around its brand history and restaurant expansion plans, but these items are not likely to move the stock much on their own. The McDonald's Big Mac jingle from the mid '70s that still lives in our heads
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald's hired a new development executive to support its NEXT strategy, which signals execution progress but is still more of a long-term operating update than an immediate stock catalyst. McDonald’s taps Raising Cane’s vet to lead development
• Negative Sentiment: A Trefis report said McDonald's is facing a real risk from trying to win over budget-conscious customers, with franchisee strain from inflation and weak consumer sentiment weighing on the system. The Real Risk Squeezing McDonald's Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Another recent analysis said MCD is near 52-week lows because of margin pressure at franchisees and softer foot traffic, which continues to limit enthusiasm despite the dividend appeal. Should You Buy McDonald’s (MCD) At 52-Week Lows

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald's

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of McDonald's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,307 shares of company stock valued at $3,262,622. Insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded shares of McDonald's from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $306.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. KeyCorp lowered their target price on shares of McDonald's from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 29th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $370.00 target price on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Evercore set a $350.00 price target on McDonald's in a report on Friday, May 8th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $335.70.

McDonald's Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of McDonald's stock opened at $280.48 on Friday. McDonald's Corporation has a 12-month low of $264.53 and a 12-month high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $199.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.41. The company's 50-day moving average price is $280.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $303.22.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald's had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. McDonald's's revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is currently 61.34%.

McDonald's Profile

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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