Benjamin Edwards Inc. Raises Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 2.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 239,156 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 6,411 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s makes up 0.8% of Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $72,709,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in McDonald’s by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $563,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the first quarter valued at approximately $3,511,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the first quarter worth about $368,000. Finally, Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 10.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 101,757 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $31,786,000 after buying an additional 9,869 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: Barclays raised its price target on MCD to $372 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling sizable upside vs. current levels and providing analyst-driven support for the stock. Barclays raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is re-launching popular kids promotions (Pokémon Happy Meals and collectible Pokémon cards) and rolling out new menu items globally for 2026 — moves that typically boost traffic, AUVs and brand engagement. Pokémon Happy Meal returns
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst write-ups group McDonald’s with other favored restaurant names (Chipotle, Dutch Bros), reinforcing consensus that the sector — and MCD’s franchised, cash-generative model — remains attractive to investors. Analysts favor restaurants
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage in dividend/portfolio roundups (e.g., The Motley Fool list) reminds investors of MCD’s defensive income characteristics, but these pieces are less likely to move price quickly. Dividend stock roundup
• Neutral Sentiment: Local opposition surfaced urging a council to block 24/7 openings at a location — a localized regulatory/community issue that could affect operations in specific markets but is unlikely to change company-wide fundamentals. Council urged to stop 24/7 openings
• Negative Sentiment: A federal class-action lawsuit alleges the McRib patty contains non-rib pork parts (heart, tripe, stomach) and that customers are misled — a reputational and litigation risk that could spur short-term negative sentiment, potential legal costs or settlements if claims advance. McDonald’s says the suit “distorts the facts.” Lawsuit claims McRib contains non-rib pork

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total value of $977,094.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 6,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock worth $13,036,090 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MCD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays increased their price target on McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 17th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Mizuho raised shares of McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $328.24.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $304.06 on Thursday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $276.53 and a 12 month high of $326.32. The company has a market cap of $216.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $307.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $304.63.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The company had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.23 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 63.48%.

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.