Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. Sells 3,640 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. reduced its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 98,782 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 3,640 shares during the quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $30,191,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Park Place Capital Corp grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% in the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Painted Porch Advisors LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 735.7% during the 3rd quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company-wide value push — McDonald’s will debut a simplified McValue “Under $3” menu (10 items) and $4 breakfast deals later this month; expected to drive traffic, app engagement and defend market share in a price-sensitive consumer environment. McDonald’s Under $3 Menu will make its debut later this month
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and local product innovation — regional initiatives (e.g., McDonald’s Türkiye ‘Archie’) and youth-focused promotions (K‑Pop/Netflix tie-ins) can boost brand relevance and short‑term engagement, but sales/monetization impact is uncertain. McDonald’s Türkiye Introduces ‘Archie’ for Gamers
• Negative Sentiment: Margin risk from lower pricing — widespread coverage notes these are some of McDonald’s lowest prices in years; while that can lift visits, substituting higher‑margin items for sub‑$3 offers and $4 breakfasts could compress margin per transaction and pressure near‑term EPS. McDonald’s is rolling out some of its lowest prices in years

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:MCD opened at $307.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.21 billion, a PE ratio of 25.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $283.47 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $321.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $311.50.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MCD. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $345.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. BTIG Research upped their price target on McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $340.00 to $354.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total transaction of $854,106.50. Following 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 4,692 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $2,052,200. This trade represents a 43.08% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 71,657 shares of company stock worth $23,722,204 in the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.