McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel trimmed its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 27.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 61,285 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 23,200 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $14,153,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Net Worth Advisory Group lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 31.6% during the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 3,164 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $734,000 after purchasing an additional 759 shares during the last quarter. Lakeside Advisors INC. grew its position in McDonald’s by 2.2% during the third quarter. Lakeside Advisors INC. now owns 3,873 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $894,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 354,816 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $81,941,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451 shares in the last quarter. Midway Capital Research & Management increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.1% in the third quarter. Midway Capital Research & Management now owns 7,998 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,847,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Jeppson Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 14.9% in the third quarter. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,260 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $984,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said McDonald’s “NEXT” growth strategy and value initiatives could outweigh near-term U.S. weakness, positioning the company to gain global market share in 2027. McDonald’s NEXT Plan, Value Push Seen Outweighing Near-Term US Weakness, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s dividend yield is reportedly near multiyear highs while its valuation is near multiyear lows. Investors focused on income may also be attracted by the prospect of qualifying for the company’s first payout as a Dividend King, although lackluster same-store sales remain a risk. 3 Reasons to Own McDonald’s Stock by Dec. 1 to Qualify for Its First Payout as a Dividend King
• Positive Sentiment: Disney-themed Halloween Boo Buckets and a new Disney collectible Happy Meal are launching October 20, potentially supporting limited-time traffic and family engagement. Disney Inspired Boo Buckets Available at McDonald’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are looking ahead to third-quarter earnings after MCD declined 21% in 2026, making the report and management’s outlook important catalysts for the stock’s longer-term direction. McDonald’s Stock Is Down 21% in 2026 Heading Into Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlighted a potential pricing-power problem as lower-income customers pull back, raising concerns that further price increases could hurt traffic and sales. McDonald’s Appears to Have a Pricing-Power Problem
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of alleged menu-pricing practices involving McDonald’s and Deloitte, along with a separate lawsuit alleging the use of AI to optimize customer charges, create potential reputational and legal overhang. McDonald’s, Deloitte Under Fire Over Alleged Menu Pricing Scheme
• Negative Sentiment: Cordatus Wealth Management cut its MCD holdings by 59.9% in the third quarter. While one institution’s sale is not conclusive, it adds modest selling pressure and may reinforce investor caution. McDonald’s Corporation Shares Sold by Cordatus Wealth Management

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE MCD traded up $3.40 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $246.07. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,376,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,262,979. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $251.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $174.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.99, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.44. McDonald’s Corporation has a twelve month low of $229.20 and a twelve month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.19 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.84 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $1.93 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. This represents a $7.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 60.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MCD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $308.00 to $297.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Argus dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $339.00 to $343.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $295.94.

McDonald’s 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.