Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sells Off Shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) recently sold shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD). In a filing disclosed on February 04th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $15,001 and $50,000 in McDonald’s stock on January 9th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) on 1/9/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) on 1/9/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hershey (NYSE:HSY) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) on 11/21/2025.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $323.28 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $310.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $306.92. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $326.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $230.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.58, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.52.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 142.9% in the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp boosted its position in McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonald’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.58, for a total transaction of $805,079.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,654,918.84. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 32,008 shares of company stock worth $9,895,452 over the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.86 per share payable March 17, 2026 — a direct return of capital that supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. McDONALD’S ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG upgraded MCD to Buy, which can push momentum as funds and retail investors often follow upgrades. BTIG Research Upgrades McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s global marketing push — widely covered stories about free “McNugget Caviar” kits and Valentine’s Day promotions — is creating brand buzz and foot-traffic experiments that can lift short-term comps and social engagement. McDonald’s is giving away free McNugget Caviar kits for Valentine’s Day. How to get yours
• Positive Sentiment: Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonald’s USA — an important leadership hire for U.S. operations that can support execution on cost and growth initiatives. Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonald’s USA
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s said it is scaling back soda fountains and hinted at larger format/technology changes — could reduce costs and drive modernization, but execution and capital requirements are uncertain. McDonald’s is scaling back soda fountains – and it hints at a larger change ahead
• Neutral Sentiment: Company reminders and calendar items: the firm flagged investor resources and the upcoming quarterly earnings release — investors will focus on the report for guidance and same-store sales color. McDonald’s (MCD) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks preview argued McDonald’s may not have the right setup for an earnings beat, highlighting uncertainty around near-term margin/traffic drivers — a reminder that growth expectations may be tempered. McDonald’s (MCD) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MCD shares. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday. Citigroup cut their price target on McDonald’s from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $331.37.

About Senator Whitehouse

Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2031.

Whitehouse (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Rhode Island. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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.