Insider Selling: McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) Insider Sells 333 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 McDonald's shares at an average of $302.72 on April 23 for about $100,806, cutting his stake by 3.96% to 8,067 shares, according to an SEC filing.
• McDonald's recently beat quarterly estimates (EPS $3.12 vs. $3.05; revenue $7.01B vs. $6.81B), pays a $1.86 quarterly dividend (annualized $7.44, ~2.5% yield), and has a consensus analyst price target of $340.93 with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating.

McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) insider Joseph Erlinger sold 333 shares of McDonald's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.72, for a total transaction of $100,805.76. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 8,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,442,042.24. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

McDonald's Stock Up 0.9%

MCD traded up $2.75 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $302.82. The company had a trading volume of 3,057,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,243,971. The company has a market capitalization of $215.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.34, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald's Corporation has a 52 week low of $283.47 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $318.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $311.87.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 13.22 EPS for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

More McDonald's News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rolling menu changes that emphasize protein and respond to GLP‑1-driven eating trends aim to protect same-store traffic and average check by offering higher‑value, protein-forward options. McDonald’s wants you to know it has protein on the menu
• Positive Sentiment: National rollout of an expanded value/$3 menu is designed to defend traffic and price-competitive share — a near-term lever for volume and guest frequency. McDonald’s new value menu debuts today
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet expansion: McDonald’s added more U.S. restaurants in 2025 than in any year since 2002, supporting unit growth and long‑term franchised revenue potential. McDonald's added a lot of new U.S. restaurants in 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing tie‑ins such as a new “Stranger Things” Happy Meal and high‑profile local openings (e.g., near UT Austin) help drive traffic and seasonal spend. McDonald’s Launches New Happy Meal for “Stranger Things
• Neutral Sentiment: Sell‑side commentary is mixed: RBC expects Q1 roughly in line with estimates (stability), while a 24/7 Wall St. model lifts a price target toward $341 but flags emerging “cracks.” These produce balanced analyst noise rather than decisive guidance. McDonald's Seen Posting Largely In-Line First-Quarter Results, RBC Says McDonald’s Price Target Hits $341—But Cracks Are Starting to Show
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/flow note: market pieces argue MCD looks oversold and outline income strategies (selling spreads) that could cap downside volatility, attracting yield‑seeking traders. Selling A Spread On McDonald's Stock Could Deliver A Big Mac-Sized Return
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp has lowered near‑term expectations for MCD, which could weigh on sentiment if results or guidance miss. KeyCorp Has Lowered Expectations for McDonald's
• Negative Sentiment: Brand/legal risk: the USPTO has challenged McDonald’s bid to reclaim the “Extra Value Meal” trademark, which could limit exclusive marketing claims. McDonald's fights to win back ‘Extra Value Meal' moniker
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing PR/regulatory items — an equality watchdog says work is ongoing on sexual‑harassment prevention and social media has questioned some protein‑badge claims — represent reputational risks that can pressure margins or require spending to remediate. Equality watchdog says work 'ongoing' with McDonald's on sexual harassment prevention

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald's from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $355.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald's has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $340.93.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald's

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of McDonald's during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of McDonald's by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in shares of McDonald's during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald's during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

McDonald's Company 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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