McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock: Townsend & Associates Inc Lowers Stake

Townsend & Associates Inc lessened its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 47.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,250 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,014 shares during the quarter. Townsend & Associates Inc’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $547,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,080,505 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $9,752,921,000 after buying an additional 646,675 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,359,276,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in McDonald’s by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,637,785 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,130,587,000 after buying an additional 533,448 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 30,979.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $806,917,000 after acquiring an additional 2,587,986 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 2,089,980 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $649,545,000 after acquiring an additional 134,480 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back popular limited-time offerings, including the McRib and a cult-favorite BBQ sandwich. The promotions could help improve traffic and comparable sales, although their impact is likely temporary. McDonald’s Is Bringing Back a Hugely Popular Menu Item Next Week
• Positive Sentiment: The stock’s sell-off has lifted its dividend yield to roughly 3%–3.2%, while McDonald’s has continued raising its payout and has earned “Dividend King” status. The higher yield may attract income-focused investors and provide valuation support. McDonald’s Is Crowned a Dividend King
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect a single-digit increase in third-quarter earnings, and management is relying on chicken launches and limited-time menu items to counter weaker U.S. traffic. McDonald’s Q3 2026 Earnings: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is challenging tokenized trading of its shares on the OKX-ICE venue, citing investor-protection and regulatory-oversight concerns. The dispute is unlikely to materially affect restaurant operations or near-term earnings. Why Is McDonald’s Challenging Tokenized Trading of Its Shares?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pricing is a concern as Taco Bell promotes a $2 item while McDonald’s works to balance affordability with margins. Slower traffic and economic pressure could weigh on comparable-store sales. Taco Bell Rolls Out $2 Item as McDonald’s Wrestles With Pricing
• Negative Sentiment: A federal lawsuit accuses McDonald’s of AI-fueled price fixing; the company says the allegations contain inaccuracies. Even if ultimately dismissed, the litigation creates reputational and regulatory overhang. McDonald’s Accused of AI-Fueled Price Fixing
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS forecast slightly to $13.78 from $13.80. Although the reduction is minor, it reinforces concerns that growth may remain subdued. McDonald’s Analyst Estimates

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $248.49 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $249.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $269.68. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $229.20 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $175.84 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.44.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.19 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $1.93 dividend. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on MCD. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $290.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 24th. BTIG Research cut their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Freedom Capital upgraded McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, HSBC lowered their price target on McDonald’s from $357.00 to $356.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $295.64.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.