CENTRAL TRUST Co Lowers Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

CENTRAL TRUST Co decreased its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 75,027 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,804 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $22,931,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Painted Porch Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 735.7% during the third quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of MCD stock opened at $286.83 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $314.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $311.81. The company has a market cap of $203.89 billion, a PE ratio of 24.00, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.43. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $283.47 and a 12-month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 343.90% and a net margin of 31.85%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.83 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.26%.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s rolled out an all?purple “Grimace” menu and relaunched the viral Grimace milkshake — a pop?culture promotion expected to drive short?term foot traffic and social?media buzz, which can lift same?store sales and AUVs. McDonald’s unveils purple Grimace menu featuring viral milkshake comeback
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is pushing a new lineup of six hand?crafted drinks (boba, “dirty” sodas and themed accessories). Management’s beverage push targets a high?margin category and supports the broader thesis that drinks can be a multi?billion growth engine for the chain. McDonald’s drops 6 new drinks with unusual accessories
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion news — a new McDonald’s site planned in Rockford — signals steady franchise development but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. New McDonald’s to be built on W. Riverside in Rockford
• Negative Sentiment: A widely circulated idea of a $20 “unlimited fries” subscription was fact?checked and found to be inaccurate — removing a potential recurring?revenue catalyst investors may have hoped for. Fact check: Is McDonald’s launching $20 subscription with unlimited fries?
• Negative Sentiment: The Street reports McDonald’s is adjusting menu “protein hacks” as beef prices rise — higher commodity costs pose a margin risk even as the company seeks menu workarounds. McDonald’s reveals protein hacks as beef prices rise
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate and downgraded MCD to a “Hold,” a mild analyst headwind that can weigh on sentiment. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Cut to “Hold” at Erste Group Bank

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Jonathan Banner sold 6,201 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.29, for a total value of $2,066,731.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $763,567.39. This represents a 73.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.25, for a total value of $854,106.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,699.50. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 71,990 shares of company stock valued at $23,824,113 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $260.00 to $306.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $334.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $370.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $340.93.

McDonald’s Company 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.