Wedmont Private Capital Sells 2,706 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Wedmont Private Capital reduced its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 31.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,706 shares during the quarter. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,632,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Kintra Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 71.1% in the second quarter. Kintra Wealth LLC now owns 5,132 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,397,000 after buying an additional 2,133 shares during the period. POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 46.2% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 174 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 20,271 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,479,000 after acquiring an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 19.3% in the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 144,728 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $38,874,000 after purchasing an additional 23,442 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Solutions Group LLC bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $558,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $255.69 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $180.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $255.49 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $269.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $288.61.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.87 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus cut their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised McDonald’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $321.35.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: A McDonald’s franchisee in Milwaukee reported double-digit sales growth across seven restaurants, crediting improved operations, local marketing and disciplined execution. The results suggest that franchisees with effective store-level strategies may still be able to outperform broader U.S. trends. McDonald’s sales growth has slowed. One franchisee says his stores are up double digits — and he credits these 3 things.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts cited McDonald’s franchise economics, global diversification and recurring royalty revenue as reasons the company could recover. One market commentary sees substantial upside to the shares despite current U.S. execution issues. Why Franchise Models Are Winning the Restaurant Stock Divide
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s long record of annual dividend increases—dating back to 1976—continues to appeal to income-oriented investors. The recent share-price pullback is being presented as a potentially attractive entry point, with the dividend supported by the company’s asset-light franchise model. McDonald’s Has Raised Its Dividend Every Year Since 1976
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s remained open on Labor Day, a routine operating update with limited direct implications for earnings or valuation. Fast Food Chains: Are Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Starbucks Open on Labor Day?
• Neutral Sentiment: New fall beverages and promotional menu changes could support traffic and seasonal sales, but the impact is unlikely to be material without evidence of stronger customer demand. McDonald’s drops a 13-year favorite as it unveils its new fall drinks
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a customer “hack” for keeping cars cleaner while eating McDonald’s is lifestyle content and has no meaningful near-term investment impact. The McDonald’s Hack That Keeps Your Car A Little Cleaner When Eating Burgers On The Go
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights slowing U.S. sales and execution missteps, contrasting McDonald’s with restaurant peers that reported stronger results from franchise economics and international diversification. This is the clearest near-term pressure on the stock. Why Franchise Models Are Winning the Restaurant Stock Divide
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that McDonald’s once sold its roughly 90% stake in Chipotle are reviving criticism that the company missed significant long-term value creation. The issue is historical rather than an immediate earnings catalyst, but it may weigh on sentiment about capital allocation. McDonald’s Exit From a 90% Restaurant Stake Still Haunts Investors
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s India’s social-media account reportedly posted memecoin-related content, creating reputational and governance concerns, although the incident appears unlikely to materially affect consolidated financial results. McDonald’s India Drama Erupts While Wall Street Targets 24% Stock Rally

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.