Waverly Advisors LLC Has $45.87 Million Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Waverly Advisors LLC grew its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 39.4% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 169,676 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 47,943 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $45,865,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MCD. Hamilton Point Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Hamilton Point Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,750 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $535,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Richmond Investment Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $696,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management inc. lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management inc. now owns 8,809 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Allied Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Allied Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,366 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, Parvin Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 929 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $282,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.1%

MCD traded down $0.16 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $255.53. 4,196,825 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,941,729. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1-year low of $254.28 and a 1-year high of $341.75. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $269.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $288.10. The stock has a market cap of $180.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.76, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.41.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is currently 60.44%.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is reportedly slowing its restaurant expansion to protect returns as construction costs rise and consumers remain price-sensitive. A more disciplined development pace could improve new-restaurant economics and reduce capital risk. Can MCD’s Slower Expansion Pace Help Protect New-Restaurant Returns?
• Positive Sentiment: A Milwaukee franchisee says sales at his seven locations are growing at double-digit rates, attributing the gains to local execution, customer engagement and operational initiatives. The example suggests individual operators can still outperform despite broader U.S. sales softness. McDonald’s franchisee sales are up
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is rethinking its strategy as an unexpected customer group increasingly buys Happy Meals, potentially broadening the product’s appeal beyond children. The report signals a marketing opportunity but provides no immediate financial forecast. McDonald’s CEO Says an Unlikely Group Is Turning to Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: The company plans a first-of-its-kind U.K. location where customers can make their own burgers. The experiential concept could generate publicity and engagement, but its impact on companywide results is likely limited initially. McDonald’s reveals new UK store
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage continues to describe McDonald’s as a defensive stock ahead of inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, which may support investor interest during periods of volatility. 5 Defensive Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note that McDonald’s U.S. sales have slowed because of execution issues, even as other major franchised restaurant companies reported stronger results. This is the clearest fundamental pressure on MCD and helps explain its weaker share performance. Why Franchise Models Are Winning the Restaurant Stock Divide
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of customers criticizing a children’s area that lacks toys or playground equipment could reinforce concerns about an uneven in-store experience, though the issue appears localized. McDonald’s also deleted a viral post involving a controversial intern claim, creating a minor reputational and social-media risk. McDonald’s guests criticize kids corner McDonald’s deletes viral post

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on MCD. Argus dropped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group set a $305.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Tigress Financial lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $321.35.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

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.