United Asset Strategies Inc. Sells 10,386 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

United Asset Strategies Inc. reduced its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 85.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,753 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 10,386 shares during the quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Argentarii LLC raised its position in McDonald’s by 77.8% in the third quarter. Argentarii LLC now owns 4,146 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $958,000 after purchasing an additional 1,814 shares in the last quarter. Fonville Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 64.2% during the third quarter. Fonville Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,463 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the period. DecisionPoint Financial LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 426.3% during the third quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 521 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 422 shares in the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 2.3% during the third quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 21,752 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,023,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 0.8% during the third quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 19,024 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,393,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $250.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. HSBC cut their target price 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. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $260.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Melius Research decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $286.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $294.73.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $258.15 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $229.20 and a 12-month high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $182.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $248.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $283.44.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a $1.93 dividend. This represents a $7.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests McDonald’s stock, which has fallen sharply this year amid weakness in consumer-discretionary shares, may be positioned for a rebound. The recent recovery could attract value-oriented investors if the company delivers resilient sales and cash flow. Mapping the Market: Beaten-down McDonald’s stock may be ripe for a rally
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals in November, featuring collectible toys and trading cards. The promotion could support customer traffic, family visits and near-term sales, although its impact is likely temporary. McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing on estimates for McDonald’s third-quarter 2026 revenue, earnings and operating metrics. The reports provide expectations rather than new company results, so the stock’s next major catalyst will be whether actual performance exceeds or falls short of those forecasts. Unveiling McDonald’s Q3 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: New holiday beverages and an $8 Quarter Pounder meal are scheduled for November. These value and seasonal offerings may help affordability perceptions and traffic, but investors will need evidence that promotions can improve demand without pressuring restaurant-level margins. McDonald’s adds new holiday drinks
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its McDonald’s price target from $290 to $260 and assigned a neutral rating, indicating limited expected upside from recent levels. The revision reinforces concerns about valuation and the durability of cash-flow growth. Mizuho McDonald’s rating
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage also questions whether McDonald’s current valuation already reflects its expected cash generation, while the stock remains materially below its level at the start of the year. A planned multibillion-dollar modernization and AI drive-through initiative could improve efficiency over time, but it also introduces execution and investment risks.

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.