McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Cullinan Associates Inc.

Cullinan Associates Inc. decreased its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 14.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 48,623 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 8,028 shares during the period. McDonald’s accounts for approximately 1.0% of Cullinan Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Cullinan Associates Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $13,143,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 4,008.8% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 84,230 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,768,000 after purchasing an additional 82,180 shares during the last quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. now owns 13,859 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,746,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its stake in McDonald’s by 3,294.5% in the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 11,779 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,600,000 after buying an additional 11,432 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.4% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,853,000 after buying an additional 16,252 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Sarl grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 64,256 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $19,639,000 after buying an additional 6,079 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 34,703 MCD call options, approximately 34% above typical volume. The activity may indicate increased bullish speculation, though options flow alone does not confirm a sustained rally.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s benefited from a modest rebound in burger stocks as traders considered whether elevated short interest could contribute to a short squeeze. Wendy’s Climbs 4%, McDonald’s Ticks Up: Is Short Interest Setting Up a Squeeze in the Burger Trade?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is bringing back Spicy McNuggets on September 1 after a two-year absence, alongside other limited-time menu items and seasonal coffee promotions. These launches could support traffic and customer engagement, although their financial impact is likely modest. McDonald’s to Bring Back Spicy McNuggets
• Positive Sentiment: A consumer survey again ranked McDonald’s fries ahead of major competitors, reinforcing the brand’s strong customer recognition. A Hello Kitty and Godzilla Happy Meal promotion may provide additional promotional appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparisons with Domino’s highlight McDonald’s global expansion, digital initiatives and customer-engagement efforts, but do not represent a new company-specific catalyst. McDonald’s vs. Domino’s: Which Stock Has Better Growth Prospects?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about a fake McDonald’s support bot promising free premium AI tools appear to be a scam warning rather than an operating or earnings development.
• Negative Sentiment: Argus lowered its McDonald’s price target to $310, signaling more limited near-term upside despite the target remaining above the current market level. Argus Lowers McDonald’s Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s slipped with other burger stocks after takeover speculation surrounding Wendy’s faded, removing a sector-wide catalyst. Separately, commentary pointing to weakening consumer conditions raises concerns about pressure on traffic and value-focused spending, though the claim is not a formal company forecast.

McDonald’s Price Performance

McDonald’s stock opened at $265.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $187.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $259.85 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $270.67 and its 200-day moving average is $291.72.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 60.44%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the business’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 transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Cfra upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $295.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.96.

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.