Sawgrass Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Sawgrass Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 17.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,453 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 5,277 shares during the period. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $7,735,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $913,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,998 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 96.0% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,188,147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974,751 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on MCD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $328.88.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product push — McDonald’s is launching a limited?time Hot Honey sauce and new protein?focused sandwiches (promoted to start Jan. 27), a menu strategy meant to drive traffic and boost average check. McDonald’s bets big on hot honey and protein to bring customers
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive store growth target — McDonald’s reiterated plans to open ~8,000 restaurants by end?2027, a scale play that supports revenue growth and franchise development. McDonald’s Plans to Open 8,000 Restaurants by End of 2027 and Shake Up Menu
• Positive Sentiment: Strong shareholder returns profile — a recent analysis highlights ~$79 billion returned to shareholders over the past decade via buybacks and dividends, underscoring cash flow strength and support for the stock. How McDonald’s Returned $79 Billion To Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu localization and novelty — McDonald’s is bringing overseas fan favorites and occasional region?specific items (beer in Europe) to generate buzz; good for marketing but limited duration impact. McDonald’s finally brings overseas fan favorites to US in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive mentions in market?crash thinking pieces — some outlets list MCD as a defensive/quality pick in volatile markets, which can support demand from risk?averse investors. Worried About a Market Crash in 2026? Buy These 3 Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing?war risk — analysts flag an elevated risk of a fast?food pricing war that could compress margins and offset traffic gains from promotions. McDonald’s: The Risk Of A Fast-Food Pricing War Is Increasing Significantly
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash on loyalty changes — reports of unhappy customers over loyalty program changes could dampen repeat visits in affected markets. McDonald’s customers unhappy about loyalty scheme changes
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings watch — MCD previously missed quarterly EPS estimates (Nov. 5), so new initiatives will be judged on whether they restore margin and beat future estimates. (Earnings details in recent filings and analyst notes.)

McDonald’s Stock Performance

MCD opened at $309.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $220.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $308.87 and its 200 day moving average is $305.93. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.28 and a fifty-two week high of $326.32.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.23 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 13,134 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.42, for a total value of $3,945,716.28. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,383,734.52. The trade was a 74.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total transaction of $977,094.90. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,861,832.16. This represents a 34.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.