McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Sale Disclosed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer

Representative Josh Gottheimer (Democratic-New Jersey) recently sold shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD). In a filing disclosed on October 7th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in McDonald’s stock on September 25th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “MORGAN STANLEY – SELECT UMA ACCOUNT # 1” account.

Representative Josh Gottheimer also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) on 9/15/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) on 8/6/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) on 8/6/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of (NASDAQ:GOOGM) on 7/24/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of (NASDAQ:GOOGN) on 7/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI) on 7/23/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of (NASDAQ:GOOGN) on 7/23/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NiCE (NASDAQ:NICE) on 7/20/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of SailPoint (NASDAQ:SAIL) on 7/20/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Chart Industries (NYSE:GTLS) on 7/17/2026.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $235.42 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $255.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $274.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $229.20 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The company has a market cap of $166.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.44.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%. The firm had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.19 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.93 per share. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $7.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to attract income-oriented investors. Its dividend increase, approximately 3.7% yield and strong franchise-driven cash flow make MCD relatively appealing as bond yields rise and investors seek growing dividend payers. What Is McDonald’s Signaling With Its Faster Dividend And New US Chief?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and some investment publications view McDonald’s as undervalued because of its high-margin, heavily franchised business model, attractive cash generation and compressed valuation. The company’s new U.S. leadership and menu initiatives could help improve domestic performance. McDonald’s Is Wall Street Overlooking Its High-Margin Franchise Model?
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing AI ordering and spending $8.5 billion on its “Next” remodel program to improve speed, restaurant appeal and operating efficiency. Management also says a newer U.S. menu item is outperforming its internal expectations, offering potential growth if the momentum scales. Where Could McDonald’s Next Growth Come From?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is defending itself against allegations that its AI-supported pricing tools coordinate prices among franchisees. McDonald’s says the lawsuit contains inaccuracies and that AI does not set menu prices, but the legal outcome and potential regulatory scrutiny remain uncertain. McDonald’s Accused of AI-Fueled Price Fixing
• Negative Sentiment: The AI-pricing class action creates potential legal costs, reputational damage and additional questions about corporate control over franchisees. The controversy could also undermine customer trust in McDonald’s use of personalized or dynamic pricing. McDonald’s Sued Over Alleged AI-Powered Menu Price-Fixing
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisees are reportedly pushing back against the expensive remodel initiative, increasing execution risk and potentially pressuring returns on invested capital. At the same time, discounts such as $5 meals and $6 combos have not clearly restored customer traffic, while consumer complaints about smaller portions and higher prices persist. $5 Meals, $6 Combos and Fewer Visits
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein lowered its price target from $295 to $250 and kept a “market perform” rating, reflecting concerns about slowing growth, weak U.S. execution and leverage. Rising Treasury yields may further pressure highly indebted companies such as McDonald’s.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on MCD. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore cut their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 24th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $310.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $306.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Loop Capital cut their target price on McDonald’s from $301.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $295.94.

Institutional Trading of McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,359,276,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 30,979.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $806,917,000 after buying an additional 2,587,986 shares during the period. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after acquiring an additional 2,515,515 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 49.9% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,104,337 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $948,779,000 after acquiring an additional 1,033,041 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its position in McDonald’s by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,997,789,000 after acquiring an additional 959,140 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

About Representative Gottheimer

Josh Gottheimer (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2017. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Gottheimer (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gottheimer is also running for election for Governor of New Jersey. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 10, 2025.

Gottheimer attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree. He became a Thouron Fellow at Oxford and attended Harvard Law School. Gottheimer worked as a speech writer under former President Bill Clinton (D), assisting with two State of the Union addresses, among other projects. Before running for Congress, he worked for Microsoft as a general manager for corporate strategy.

McDonald’s Company Profile

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.