Freedom Day Solutions LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Freedom Day Solutions LLC lowered its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 94.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 11,224 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 193,597 shares during the quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MCD. WD Rutherford LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. WD Rutherford LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $991,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.4% in the third quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,423 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $736,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Symmetry Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.0% in the third quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 1,771 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $538,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 3,604 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,053,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,112 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $325,000 after acquiring an additional 35 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 subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Barclays raised their target price on McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $328.88.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total value of $2,006,218.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,407,133. The trade was a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 42,516 shares of company stock valued at $13,036,090 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays published a bullish forecast for MCD, signaling strong expected price appreciation and supporting upside vs. peers. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an overweight rating, suggesting confidence in growth/strategy that can support longer-term multiple expansion. Sanford C. Bernstein Overweight (coverage roundup)
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” with a $320 target — implies limited near-term catalyst but indicates room for modest upside from current levels. TD Cowen Hold Rating Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s announced new and returning global menu items for 2026 — potential to boost customer traffic and average check if launches resonate. McDonald’s to Launch New and Returning Menu Items Worldwide in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Company says it’s changing its drive-thrus (operational update) — could improve throughput/experience but is execution-dependent. McDonald’s Is Changing Its Drive-Thrus
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report a new lawsuit alleging McDonald’s “deceived” customers about McRib ingredients — this raises near-term PR/legal risk and could pressure sales of a promoted product. McDonald’s is facing serious allegations about the McRib McDonald’s Faces Lawsuit Claiming It ‘Deceived’ Customers About the McRib
• Negative Sentiment: Unions have accused McDonald’s of repeated harassment of mostly teenage staff — intensifies labor/PR scrutiny that can lead to fines, protests, or higher labor costs if issues persist. Unions accuse McDonald’s of ‘repeated harassment’ against ‘mostly teenage’ staff
• Neutral Sentiment: Local openings (e.g., Biltmore grand opening) signal continued unit activity but have limited immediate impact on the stock. Biltmore McDonald’s celebrates grand opening

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $307.27 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $307.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $304.88. The firm has a market cap of $218.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $276.53 and a 1-year high of $326.32.

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

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 63.48%.

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.