Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. Decreases Stake in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. lessened its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,005 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,522 shares during the period. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,312,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,946 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $895,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.4% in the third quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 271,400 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $82,476,000 after buying an additional 3,700 shares in the last quarter. Birch Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Birch Financial Group LLC now owns 1,504 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $457,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 505,097 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $153,494,000 after buying an additional 8,830 shares during the period. Finally, Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,561 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,690,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “overweight” rating and set a $372.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Barclays boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Oppenheimer raised shares of McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $328.88.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $309.24 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $283.28 and a one year high of $326.32. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $308.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $305.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $220.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.39, a PEG ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The company had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.23 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 13,134 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.42, for a total transaction of $3,945,716.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,383,734.52. This represents a 74.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,169,430. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: New product push — McDonald’s is launching a limited‑time Hot Honey sauce and new protein‑focused sandwiches (promoted to start Jan. 27), a menu strategy meant to drive traffic and boost average check. McDonald’s bets big on hot honey and protein to bring customers
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive store growth target — McDonald’s reiterated plans to open ~8,000 restaurants by end‑2027, a scale play that supports revenue growth and franchise development. McDonald’s Plans to Open 8,000 Restaurants by End of 2027 and Shake Up Menu
• Positive Sentiment: Strong shareholder returns profile — a recent analysis highlights ~$79 billion returned to shareholders over the past decade via buybacks and dividends, underscoring cash flow strength and support for the stock. How McDonald’s Returned $79 Billion To Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Menu localization and novelty — McDonald’s is bringing overseas fan favorites and occasional region‑specific items (beer in Europe) to generate buzz; good for marketing but limited duration impact. McDonald’s finally brings overseas fan favorites to US in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive mentions in market‑crash thinking pieces — some outlets list MCD as a defensive/quality pick in volatile markets, which can support demand from risk‑averse investors. Worried About a Market Crash in 2026? Buy These 3 Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Pricing‑war risk — analysts flag an elevated risk of a fast‑food pricing war that could compress margins and offset traffic gains from promotions. McDonald’s: The Risk Of A Fast-Food Pricing War Is Increasing Significantly
• Negative Sentiment: Customer backlash on loyalty changes — reports of unhappy customers over loyalty program changes could dampen repeat visits in affected markets. McDonald’s customers unhappy about loyalty scheme changes
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings watch — MCD previously missed quarterly EPS estimates (Nov. 5), so new initiatives will be judged on whether they restore margin and beat future estimates. (Earnings details in recent filings and analyst notes.)

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.