W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co Has $2.12 Million Stake in McDonald's Corporation $MCD

Key Points

• W.G. Shaheen & Associates (Whitney & Co) increased its McDonald's stake by 203.4% in Q4, buying 4,640 shares to hold 6,921 shares worth roughly $2.12 million, as institutional investors now own about 70.29% of the company.
• McDonald's beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $3.12 (vs. $3.05) and revenue of $7.01 billion (up 9.7% YoY), and it pays a quarterly dividend of $1.86 (annualized $7.44, yield ~2.6%).
• Significant insider selling occurred recently—insiders sold 71,990 shares worth $23.8 million over the past three months (including large sales by the CMO and EVP), leaving insiders with only 0.26% ownership.

W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co boosted its stake in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 203.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,921 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after buying an additional 4,640 shares during the quarter. W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co's holdings in McDonald's were worth $2,115,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in McDonald's by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in McDonald's by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in McDonald's by 11.4% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $589,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. United Bank boosted its stake in McDonald's by 6.0% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,367,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in McDonald's by 2.5% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $3,780,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company's stock.

McDonald's Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:MCD opened at $290.20 on Thursday. McDonald's Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The business's 50-day moving average price is $314.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $311.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.28, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its 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 analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.83 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 13.21 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Oppenheimer raised McDonald's from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Truist Financial upped their price target on McDonald's from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Erste Group Bank lowered McDonald's from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday. Mizuho upped their price target on McDonald's from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of McDonald's from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $340.93.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 71,990 shares of company stock worth $23,824,113. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

More McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Launch of premium drink lineup could lift ticket sizes and margins — McDonald’s will roll out six crafted beverages (refreshers, crafted sodas) starting May 6, a deliberate push to capture a larger share of the high-margin beverage category and compete with specialty chains. This supports higher average checks and incremental visits. McDonald's is the latest fast food chain to offer fancier drinks
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing & limited drops to drive traffic — Limited-edition promotions (Grimace Shake/all‑purple menu, themed drink carriers) produce social buzz and short-term traffic spikes, helping test new menu items and seasonal pricing. McDonald’s All-Purple Menu Is Bringing Back The Grimace Shake
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG reiterates buy with a $370 price target — an institutional voice signaling upside from current levels and confidence in long-term brand and cash flow strength. Benzinga coverage of BTIG rating
• Neutral Sentiment: QSR industry backdrop and market reports show long-term growth — reports (e.g., Canada foodservice forecast) point to structural demand for quick‑service channels, but also highlight cost and labor pressures that could offset gains. Canada Foodservice Market Report Forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor results: Chipotle sales beat — Chipotle’s revenue strength underscores continued consumer spending on off-premise and premium QSR offers; this is a reminder of competitive dynamics but not a direct McDonald’s earnings read. Chipotle Stock Jumps on Sales Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst trims: Erste Group slightly lowered FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts — modest cuts (FY26 to $13.20, FY27 to $14.35) and a "Hold" stance suggest cautious near-term profit expectations; the changes are small but add to short-term bearishness.
• Negative Sentiment: Customer reaction to new McValue menu is mixed — early reviews suggest the new value lineup may not meet consumer expectations, which could blunt traffic gains from promotions if broader uptake is weak. Why McDonald's New McValue Menu Is Not The Deal Customers Were Hoping For

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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