Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P Invests $485,000 in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,595 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $485,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MCD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,647,669 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $21,773,010,000 after purchasing an additional 316,638 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 0.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,828,352 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,175,800,000 after acquiring an additional 272,139 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,828,420 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $4,901,595,000 after acquiring an additional 276,065 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,780,712,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 29,382.3% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,676,339,000 after purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $337.04.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $329.17 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $335.67. The stock has a market cap of $234.42 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $314.66 and a 200-day moving average of $309.21.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.83 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.26%.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company is raising 2026 capital expenditures to as much as $3.9 billion to accelerate restaurant openings and hit a 50,000-location target by 2027 — management argues the ROI on these openings supports long‑term growth and same-store sales leverage. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher: What’s Supporting the ROI Case?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: Erste Group Bank raised MCD to a Buy, a vote of confidence that can support further buying interest from institutional investors. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Raised to Buy at Erste Group Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Menu/product innovation: McDonald’s is testing high‑protein menu options aimed at customers using GLP‑1 drugs — a potential traffic and AUV (average unit volume) driver if it attracts a new, health‑focused customer segment. McDonald’s is considering expanding protein menu for GLP-1 users
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/pop buzz: Collaborations and limited releases (e.g., the Drake OVO meal internationally) keep McDonald’s culturally relevant and can lift short‑term traffic and merchandising revenue. McDonald’s x Drake’s OVO Meal Is Finally Here — But Not in the US
• Positive Sentiment: Menu nostalgia and limited-time items returning (beloved menu items/seasonal promotions) support traffic and repeat visits—helpful for near‑term comps. McDonald’s Brings Back Beloved Menu Item
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention pieces (Zacks/Yahoo) note increased retail/institutional interest and recap recent fundamentals — useful context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/menu curiosities (e.g., a rare Canadian breakfast item, regional shake returns) generate PR and incremental sales but limited broader financial impact. McDonald’s New Canadian Breakfast Item Is Out, but It’s a Rare Find
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature/legacy stories (human‑interest or history pieces) create brand conversation but are unlikely to move the stock materially. How One Man Humiliated McDonald’s and Built a $20 Billion Empire
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,277 shares recently — a datapoint investors watch for signaling, even though single insider sales often have benign explanations. Christopher Kempczinski Sells 26,277 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.00, for a total transaction of $1,553,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 6,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,052,200. The trade was a 43.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total transaction of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 71,550 shares of company stock valued at $23,484,957 in the last quarter. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.