Whittier Trust Co. Sells 2,901 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Whittier Trust Co. lessened its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 4.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 67,440 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,901 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $20,298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines 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.)

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owned 5,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,654,918.84. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 45,142 shares of company stock worth $13,841,169. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. KeyCorp lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $358.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $328.88.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.0%

McDonald’s stock opened at $309.24 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $308.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $305.93. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.28 and a 1-year high of $326.32. The company has a market cap of $220.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.23 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

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.