Councilmark Asset Management LLC Acquires Shares of 1,980 McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Councilmark Asset Management LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 1,980 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $535,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $268.05 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $189.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50-day moving average of $271.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $292.78. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $260.96 and a 52-week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.44%.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s unified digital platform is nearing completion across major markets. The system could improve customer personalization, loyalty engagement, ordering efficiency and restaurant productivity, potentially supporting sales and margins over time. Can MCD’s Unified Digital Platform Unlock More Growth & Productivity?
• Positive Sentiment: The return of Spicy Chicken McNuggets and other limited-time menu items could drive customer traffic, add-on purchases and promotional attention. The items are positioned as a short-duration offering, which may create urgency among customers. McDonald’s spicy chicken McNuggets are coming back
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is expanding its beverage focus, including “dirty soda” offerings and competition in the cold-drink category. Beverage innovation could increase visit frequency and improve average transaction values, particularly among younger consumers. McDonald’s enters the cold drink competition
• Neutral Sentiment: New Hello Kitty and Godzilla Happy Meal toys are supporting engagement and promotional visibility, though the direct financial impact is likely modest. Hello Kitty Godzilla Happy Meal toys
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage data continues to show a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, suggesting analysts see potential in the shares despite recent weakness. McDonald’s receives Moderate Buy rating
• Negative Sentiment: The stock selloff reflects investor concern about near-term growth and valuation, even though some analysis argues that McDonald’s digital investments, brand strength and operating initiatives are being undervalued. Continued weakness could persist until traffic and comparable-sales momentum improve. McDonald’s stock selloff is hiding a stronger story

Insider Activity

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.88.

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.