Shell Asset Management Co. Cuts Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Shell Asset Management Co. lowered its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 10,663 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,635 shares during the quarter. Shell Asset Management Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,240,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the second quarter valued at about $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in McDonald’s by 29,382.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after buying an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 171.7% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $913,157,000 after buying an additional 1,974,998 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 96.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,188,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,751 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and momentum — McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (revenue ~ $7.0B, EPS beat, systemwide comps up ~5.7% with U.S. comps ~6.8%) and cited loyalty growth that helped drive sales and margins; this is the primary bullish catalyst supporting the stock. Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Several firms raised ratings/targets (Argus upgraded to Buy with a $380 target; Truist/BTIG raised targets toward ~$370), which can support further upside as sentiment shifts. Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback/dividend tailwind — Coverage notes that strong cash flow from Q4 and a healthy dividend yield support continued buybacks and payouts, a structural catalyst for EPS per-share gains over time. Buybacks & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotions/brand buzz — Seasonal items and PR stunts (Shamrock Shake, McNugget kits) are driving traffic and media attention; helpful for short-term comps but likely temporary. Promotions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — A disclosed sale by a senior U.S. executive (Form 4) may have added to near-term selling pressure as some investors lock in gains after the earnings pop. Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution risk — Reports of tension between corporate pricing/value pushes and some franchisees could complicate uniform execution and margins across markets, a potential headwind if disputes persist. Franchisee Tensions

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on MCD. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $372.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Argus raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded McDonald’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $327.58 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $313.02 and its 200 day moving average is $308.30. The firm has a market cap of $233.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.41, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $335.67.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.83 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is 62.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the transaction, the insider 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,439 shares of company stock valued at $9,772,464. 0.25% of the stock is 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.