Payden & Rygel Boosts Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Payden & Rygel lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 88.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,600 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 19,500 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $12,642,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors 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 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third 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 during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in McDonald’s in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE:MCD opened at $329.17 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $234.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.55, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $314.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $309.22. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $283.47 and a 52 week high of $335.67.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 71,550 shares of company stock valued at $23,484,957 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company is raising 2026 capital expenditures to as much as $3.9 billion to accelerate restaurant openings and hit a 50,000-location target by 2027 — management argues the ROI on these openings supports long?term growth and same-store sales leverage. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher: What’s Supporting the ROI Case?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: Erste Group Bank raised MCD to a Buy, a vote of confidence that can support further buying interest from institutional investors. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Raised to Buy at Erste Group Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Menu/product innovation: McDonald’s is testing high?protein menu options aimed at customers using GLP?1 drugs — a potential traffic and AUV (average unit volume) driver if it attracts a new, health?focused customer segment. McDonald’s is considering expanding protein menu for GLP-1 users
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/pop buzz: Collaborations and limited releases (e.g., the Drake OVO meal internationally) keep McDonald’s culturally relevant and can lift short?term traffic and merchandising revenue. McDonald’s x Drake’s OVO Meal Is Finally Here — But Not in the US
• Positive Sentiment: Menu nostalgia and limited-time items returning (beloved menu items/seasonal promotions) support traffic and repeat visits—helpful for near?term comps. McDonald’s Brings Back Beloved Menu Item
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention pieces (Zacks/Yahoo) note increased retail/institutional interest and recap recent fundamentals — useful context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/menu curiosities (e.g., a rare Canadian breakfast item, regional shake returns) generate PR and incremental sales but limited broader financial impact. McDonald’s New Canadian Breakfast Item Is Out, but It’s a Rare Find
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature/legacy stories (human?interest or history pieces) create brand conversation but are unlikely to move the stock materially. How One Man Humiliated McDonald’s and Built a $20 Billion Empire
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares recently — a datapoint investors watch for signaling, even though single insider sales often have benign explanations. Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,277 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

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.