National Bank of Canada FI Decreases Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

National Bank of Canada FI lowered its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 823,366 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 30,436 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned about 0.12% of McDonald’s worth $250,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 162.5% in the 3rd 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. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Miller Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

McDonald’s stock opened at $326.79 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $320.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $311.61. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $283.47 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $232.15 billion, a PE ratio of 27.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.51.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total value of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares in the company, valued at $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total value of $8,764,097.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares in the company, valued at $7,638,066. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204 in the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Erste Group Bank raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $340.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $339.69.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc raised its price target and called out strong momentum in McDonald’s U.S. business — a direct analyst catalyst that supports upside expectations. KeyBanc Cites Strong Momentum in McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)’s Domestic Business
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish pieces (Seeking Alpha, Seeking Alpha follow-ups, and Yahoo summaries of bullish theses) argue McDonald’s is still a structurally attractive holding thanks to scale, menu innovation and resilient margins. These reinforce buy-side interest. Three Reasons To Own McDonald’s Now
• Positive Sentiment: Company strategy milestones (franchising, digital/operational improvements highlighted in business press) are being framed as the “next big step” in McDonald’s post‑pandemic playbook — potentially supportive for long‑term sales and margins. McDonald’s Just Announced the Next Big Step In Its Post-Pandemic Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: McValue 2.0 menu is getting attention as a traffic driver, but analysts warn McDonald’s current valuation leaves limited upside — positive for comps but mixed for shares. McDonald’s McValue 2.0 Menu Is Appetizing But Valuation Leaves Little Room For Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple consumer‑interest pieces (sauces, fries, Filet‑O‑Fish cheese) are being shared widely — good for brand engagement but unlikely to move the stock materially. How are McDonald’s Big Mac & Big Arch sauces different? Why McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Always Has Crooked Cheese
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting Darden (DRI) and Restaurant Brands (QSR) outpacing McDonald’s highlights relative underperformance risk — investors may reallocate to higher‑growth peers. Why DRI And QSR Are Outpacing McDonald’s Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Barchart suggests the stock’s price targets have moved higher but the share price has been flat, making shorting out‑of‑the‑money puts an attractive trade — a signal that some market participants expect limited near‑term upside or downside risk. McDonald’s Stock Price Targets Are Higher – Shorting MCD Puts Works Here
• Negative Sentiment: Industry pieces on burger/commodity cost pressures (Burger King/Whopper coverage) flag margin risk for beef‑centric menu items — a potential headwind if input costs spike. McDonald’s and Burger King face whopper of a burger problem

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.