Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,277 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total value of $8,706,883.95. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,587,915. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE MCD opened at $327.90 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $233.52 billion, a PE ratio of 27.44, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $335.67. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $314.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $308.84.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hamilton Point Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Hamilton Point Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,750 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $535,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Encompass More Asset Management grew its stake in McDonald’s by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Encompass More Asset Management now owns 2,120 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $648,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $696,000 after buying an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management inc. raised its stake in McDonald’s by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management inc. now owns 8,809 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WD Rutherford LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.0% in the third quarter. WD Rutherford LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $991,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MCD. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Erste Group raised MCD from “hold” to “buy”, which supports positive analyst sentiment and may lift demand for the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Menu and sales momentum: Management rolled out the 2026 menu tied to a sales rebound and stronger comps; investors view the menu plan as a near‑term catalyst for traffic and revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile marketing push: New collaborations and limited-edition items with Drake/OVO (including a specialty Sprite and promoted combo meals) boost brand relevance and can drive short-term visits and social buzz. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation for shifting diets: McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu options aimed at consumers on GLP‑1 drugs — a proactive move to defend traffic as dietary preferences shift. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Seasonal and nostalgia items returning (Shamrock Shake, Changeables Happy Meal toys) — these typically boost short-term foot traffic but are not structural catalysts. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer interest pieces (e.g., Filet‑O‑Fish customization trick) drive PR and footfall curiosity but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley disclosed multi‑million dollar sales in mid‑February (large reductions in holdings), which can be interpreted as a near‑term negative signal for sentiment. Read More.

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.