Insider Selling: McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CEO Sells $8,706,883.95 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.35, for a total value of $8,706,883.95. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at $7,587,915. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.2%

MCD stock opened at $327.29 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $314.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $308.96. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $283.47 and a twelve month high of $335.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $233.08 billion, a PE ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.52.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company 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 $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raises 2026 capital spending to as much as $3.9B to accelerate restaurant openings and push toward 50,000 locations by 2027 — a growth push that supports revenue and unit?level expansion if ROI targets hold. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations (Q4 EPS and revenue upside) and management declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex?div Mar 3, pay Mar 17) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat Q4 & Dividend Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and product catalysts (Drake OVO collab, return of Shamrock Shake, new Big Arch burger, nostalgic Happy Meal toys) plus tests of high?protein menu options for GLP?1 users should help traffic and frequency. These LTOs and collaborations typically boost near?term sales and brand engagement. Drake OVO Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is growing — several firms raised price targets or upgraded MCD recently (Erste, UBS, Argus among others), providing an analyst tailwind for the stock. Analyst Actions Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail/investor attention and brand stories (historical pieces, health/food features) are boosting awareness but are unlikely by themselves to move fundamentals. Zacks Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by CEO Christopher Kempczinski (~26,277 shares across filings) and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley (~4,692 shares) were disclosed (SEC filings), which can trigger short?term selling or signal management cashing in after recent highs. CEO Insider Sale SEC Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Argus raised shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its position in McDonald’s by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp grew its position in McDonald’s by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

About McDonald’s

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.