McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Stock Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al lessened its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 24.7% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 194,949 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 63,820 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $45,022,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 46.2% in the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 174 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 140.0% in the 2nd quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 180 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2,312.5% in the 3rd quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC now owns 193 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 1st quarter worth approximately $64,000. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Key McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests McDonald’s stock, which has fallen sharply this year amid weakness in consumer-discretionary shares, may be positioned for a rebound. The recent recovery could attract value-oriented investors if the company delivers resilient sales and cash flow. Mapping the Market: Beaten-down McDonald’s stock may be ripe for a rally
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals in November, featuring collectible toys and trading cards. The promotion could support customer traffic, family visits and near-term sales, although its impact is likely temporary. McDonald’s is bringing back Pokémon Happy Meals
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing on estimates for McDonald’s third-quarter 2026 revenue, earnings and operating metrics. The reports provide expectations rather than new company results, so the stock’s next major catalyst will be whether actual performance exceeds or falls short of those forecasts. Unveiling McDonald’s Q3 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: New holiday beverages and an $8 Quarter Pounder meal are scheduled for November. These value and seasonal offerings may help affordability perceptions and traffic, but investors will need evidence that promotions can improve demand without pressuring restaurant-level margins. McDonald’s adds new holiday drinks
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its McDonald’s price target from $290 to $260 and assigned a neutral rating, indicating limited expected upside from recent levels. The revision reinforces concerns about valuation and the durability of cash-flow growth. Mizuho McDonald’s rating
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage also questions whether McDonald’s current valuation already reflects its expected cash generation, while the stock remains materially below its level at the start of the year. A planned multibillion-dollar modernization and AI drive-through initiative could improve efficiency over time, but it also introduces execution and investment risks.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:MCD opened at $258.15 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $229.20 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $248.26 and a 200-day moving average of $283.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.44.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.19 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $1.93 dividend. This represents a $7.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This is a positive change from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $306.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $260.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Guggenheim reduced their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Monday, October 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $294.73.

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.