Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,276 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total value of $8,764,097.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,638,066. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of MCD stock traded down $0.02 on Tuesday, hitting $327.56. The company had a trading volume of 3,367,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,291,308. The firm has a market cap of $233.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $335.67. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $313.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $308.70.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s News Summary

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 large investors have recently modified their holdings of MCD. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. grew its position in McDonald’s by 142.9% during 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 during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.