Boothbay Fund Management LLC Purchases 55,418 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Boothbay Fund Management LLC raised its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 712.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 63,192 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,418 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $19,203,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MCD. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the second quarter worth $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in 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 buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the period. Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted 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 acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in McDonald’s by 96.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,188,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,751 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target to $385 and reiterated a Buy, citing McDonald’s multi?year growth strategy and brand strength — a clear analyst endorsement that supports upside to the stock. Tigress Financial Upgrades McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) Price Target, Highlights Multi-Year Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Value menu push: McDonald’s is rolling out $3 value items and $4 breakfast deals in the U.S. starting in April to win back price?sensitive customers — a traffic?driving move that could boost visit frequency if franchisees and consumers adopt it. McDonald’s to launch new $3 value items in US starting April, WSJ reports
• Positive Sentiment: Digital/loyalty tailwinds: Management cites a large loyalty base and digital tools as drivers for higher visit frequency and better targeted promotions — structural levers for revenue per user and margin expansion over time. Can MCD’s Digital Ecosystem Turn Loyalty Into Higher Visit Frequency?
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and product noise: Viral moments (CEO burger video ? memes) and new product reviews (e.g., Big Arch) keep brand relevance and social buzz high but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. How McDonald’s CEO’s viral burger video turned memes into money
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu coverage / consumer perception: Media attention on affordability and menu mix helps narrative but the actual impact depends on execution and unit economics. McDonald’s Plans New $3 Menu, in Latest Bid to Win Customers With Better Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Executive Joseph Erlinger disclosed a sale of 2,626 shares (~$862k). While routine insider sales aren’t always predictive, they can be interpreted as a mild negative signal by some investors. Insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: Short?term dampener: Analysts and commentary note the stock is down since earnings (some profit?taking and valuation debates persist), which can cap near?term upside until fresh evidence of traffic/margin improvement appears. Why Is McDonald’s (MCD) Down 2.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays increased their target price on McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $339.69.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.34, for a total transaction of $862,220.84. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,867,393.22. This represents a 23.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total transaction of $2,066,731.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 74,143 shares of company stock worth $24,517,724. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $326.41 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $320.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $311.51. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $231.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.83 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.26%.

McDonald’s Company 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.