McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stake Decreased by Core Alternative Capital

Core Alternative Capital trimmed its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 14.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,112 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,779 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s comprises 1.5% of Core Alternative Capital’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Core Alternative Capital’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $5,200,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Braun Bostich & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 9.4% during the third quarter. Braun Bostich & Associates Inc. now owns 1,607 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 5,923 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,800,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,106 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Stablepoint Partners LLC raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 21,001 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $6,382,000 after buying an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 203,532 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $61,851,000 after acquiring an additional 8,317 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s revived its 1980s “Changeables” Happy Meal toys — a nostalgia play (16 transforming robots/dinosaurs) expected to drive family foot traffic and incremental Happy Meal sales. McDonald’s brings back popular Happy Meal toy from 1980s
• Positive Sentiment: Company is doubling down on value — $5 meals and a revived Snack Wrap — initiatives that management/coverage say are intended to boost transactions and fuel a franchise rebound. These are direct drivers of same‑store sales and margin mix for franchised restaurants. McDonald’s doubles down on value
• Positive Sentiment: Limited‑edition promotional tie‑ins (FRIENDS Meal, collectibles) and bringing overseas fan favorites to the U.S. signal ongoing product innovation to sustain customer interest and drive visit frequency. McDonald’s launches limited-edition FRIENDS Meal
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies expects McDonald’s fourth‑quarter results roughly in line with consensus (U.S. same‑store sales ~4.5%, EPS ~ $3), noting continued U.S. share gains but limited near‑term surprises — supportive but not a catalyst. McDonald’s seen delivering inline fourth quarter results
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (menu reviews, superfan features) and menu tweaks are keeping the brand top‑of‑mind but are unlikely individually to move fundamentals; they support ongoing marketing momentum. Hot honey menu review
• Negative Sentiment: Pepsi/competitor dynamics: Domino’s is rolling out bigger deals following McDonald’s playbook, highlighting intensifying promotional competition that could pressure margins or force continued discounting. Domino’s follows McDonald’s menu plan

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. 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 note on Wednesday, January 7th. BTIG Research reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, October 31st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Thirteen 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $313.91 on Wednesday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $326.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.55 billion, a PE ratio of 26.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $309.21 and its 200-day moving average is $306.22.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The company had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.58, for a total value of $805,079.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,654,918.84. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,133. This represents a 58.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 45,142 shares of company stock worth $13,841,169 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.