Key Points
- McDonald's CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares on Feb. 12 at an average price of $331 for about $1.55M, cutting her stake by 43.08% to 6,200 shares; the trade was disclosed in an SEC Form 4 filing.
- McDonald's reported a Q4 earnings beat with EPS of $3.12 vs. $3.05 expected and revenue of $7.01B (up 9.7% year‑over‑year), and posted a net margin of 31.85%.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.86 (annualized $7.44, yield ~2.3%, ex‑dividend date March 3), while analysts raised price targets (UBS to $365) even as MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target of $337.04.
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.
McDonald's Trading Down 0.0%
Shares of MCD stock opened at $327.56 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $313.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $308.70. McDonald's Corporation has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $335.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $233.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52.
McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.83 EPS. McDonald's's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.
McDonald's Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.26%.
Trending Headlines about McDonald's
Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald's this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 outperformance and a clear value strategy. Recent coverage highlights MCD’s Q4 beat, double-digit active app engagement and a permanent “McValue” push that helped U.S. comps grow ~6.8% — a key reason investors see low downside and continued share gains. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: 2026 menu rollout tied to sales rebound. McDonald’s unveiled its 2026 menu and promotional plan, which management ties directly to the sales rebound and traffic recovery — a near-term revenue catalyst. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and limited-time items returning. The Shamrock Shake and other beloved seasonal items are back nationwide — recurring LTOs that reliably boost traffic and spend. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: New product and brand engagement initiatives. McDonald’s is debuting new items (Big Arch burger) and launching branded collectibles/trading cards to drive visits and social buzz. These low-cost marketing plays can increase frequency among younger cohorts. Read More. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Product innovation to address diet trends. McDonald’s is testing higher‑protein menu options in response to GLP‑1‑driven consumer changes — a proactive product response that could protect traffic if tastes shift. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Brand and history pieces with limited near-term impact. Several features (drive‑thru origin, nostalgia pieces) bolster brand perception but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald's
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in McDonald's during the second quarter worth about $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 29,382.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $1,676,339,000 after acquiring an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald's during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,412,069,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its stake in McDonald's by 9,867.5% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP raised its position in McDonald's by 171.7% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $913,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
MCD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on McDonald's from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of McDonald's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald's presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $337.04.
View Our Latest Research Report on MCD
About McDonald's
(
Get Free Report)
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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