5,629 McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Welch & Forbes LLC

Welch & Forbes LLC lowered its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 293,303 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 5,629 shares during the quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $67,735,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in McDonald’s during the first quarter worth $33,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 46.2% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 174 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Westfuller Advisors LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 140.0% in the second quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 180 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 2,312.5% in the third quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC now owns 193 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD bought a new stake in McDonald’s in the first quarter valued at $64,000. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $281.54 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $249.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $282.45. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $229.20 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $199.23 billion, a PE ratio of 22.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.42.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $7.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.28 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 32.38% and a negative return on equity of 671.56%. The business’s revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.22 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $1.93 dividend. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 58.86%.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s Q3 earnings beat expectations, and management pointed to cost discipline, refranchising and targeted digital promotions as drivers of stronger profitability. The earnings response was positive, although revenue fell short of forecasts. The top 5 analyst questions from McDonald’s Q3 2026 earnings call
• Positive Sentiment: The company and Uber are expanding their delivery partnership across 14 markets, adding in-app ordering and cross-platform loyalty benefits that could support order volume and customer engagement. McDonald’s Expands Uber Partnership in 14 Markets
• Positive Sentiment: A Pokémon Happy Meal promotion could provide a short-term traffic draw, though its financial impact is not yet clear. McDonald’s, Pokémon team for Happy Meal
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is testing a low-priced bundle in about 1,900 U.S. restaurants as it adjusts deals for increasingly price-conscious customers. The test may help traffic, but its results will be important to watch. MCD Stock Outlook: Wall Street Eyes a Potential Upside Breakout After Q3 Results
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. guest counts are still falling, and the latest revenue missed expectations. Analysts and commentary warn that higher average checks have not yet demonstrated a sustainable recovery in visits. McDonald’s Is Rethinking Its Deals as Customers Get Pickier About Prices
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary argues the post-earnings rebound may be pricing in a turnaround before traffic and cash-flow improvement are firmly established. McDonald’s: The Earnings Bounce Is Pricing In A Turnaround That Hasn’t Happened Yet

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MCD. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded McDonald’s from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $309.00 to $293.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $260.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.82.

About McDonald’s

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.