Baillie Gifford & Co. Trims Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Baillie Gifford & Co. lessened its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 4.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 130,534 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 5,752 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $39,668,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. GFG Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. This represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 45,142 shares of company stock worth $13,841,169 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.0%

MCD stock opened at $309.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $220.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.39, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $308.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $305.93. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $283.28 and a 12-month high of $326.32.

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

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product push — McDonald’s is launching a limited‑time Hot Honey sauce and new protein‑focused sandwiches (promoted to start Jan. 27), a menu strategy meant to drive traffic and boost average check. McDonald’s bets big on hot honey and protein to bring customers
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive store growth target — McDonald’s reiterated plans to open ~8,000 restaurants by end‑2027, a scale play that supports revenue growth and franchise development. McDonald’s Plans to Open 8,000 Restaurants by End of 2027 and Shake Up Menu
• Positive Sentiment: Strong shareholder returns profile — a recent analysis highlights ~$79 billion returned to shareholders over the past decade via buybacks and dividends, underscoring cash flow strength and support for the stock. How McDonald’s Returned $79 Billion To Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu localization and novelty — McDonald’s is bringing overseas fan favorites and occasional region‑specific items (beer in Europe) to generate buzz; good for marketing but limited duration impact. McDonald’s finally brings overseas fan favorites to US in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive mentions in market‑crash thinking pieces — some outlets list MCD as a defensive/quality pick in volatile markets, which can support demand from risk‑averse investors. Worried About a Market Crash in 2026? Buy These 3 Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing‑war risk — analysts flag an elevated risk of a fast‑food pricing war that could compress margins and offset traffic gains from promotions. McDonald’s: The Risk Of A Fast-Food Pricing War Is Increasing Significantly
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash on loyalty changes — reports of unhappy customers over loyalty program changes could dampen repeat visits in affected markets. McDonald’s customers unhappy about loyalty scheme changes
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings watch — MCD previously missed quarterly EPS estimates (Nov. 5), so new initiatives will be judged on whether they restore margin and beat future estimates. (Earnings details in recent filings and analyst notes.)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $372.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $328.88.

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.