McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) CEO Sells $8,764,097.04 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher Kempczinski sold 26,276 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.54, for a total value of $8,764,097.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,638,066. This trade represents a 53.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of MCD opened at $327.29 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $233.08 billion, a PE ratio of 27.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 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. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $314.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $308.96.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The fast-food giant reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.81 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.85% and a negative return on equity of 343.90%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $335.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $337.04.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raises 2026 capital spending to as much as $3.9B to accelerate restaurant openings and push toward 50,000 locations by 2027 — a growth push that supports revenue and unit?level expansion if ROI targets hold. McDonald’s CapEx Steps Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations (Q4 EPS and revenue upside) and management declared a $1.86 quarterly dividend (ex?div Mar 3, pay Mar 17) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat Q4 & Dividend Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and product catalysts (Drake OVO collab, return of Shamrock Shake, new Big Arch burger, nostalgic Happy Meal toys) plus tests of high?protein menu options for GLP?1 users should help traffic and frequency. These LTOs and collaborations typically boost near?term sales and brand engagement. Drake OVO Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is growing — several firms raised price targets or upgraded MCD recently (Erste, UBS, Argus among others), providing an analyst tailwind for the stock. Analyst Actions Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail/investor attention and brand stories (historical pieces, health/food features) are boosting awareness but are unlikely by themselves to move fundamentals. Zacks Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by CEO Christopher Kempczinski (~26,277 shares across filings) and CMO Edith Morgan Flatley (~4,692 shares) were disclosed (SEC filings), which can trigger short?term selling or signal management cashing in after recent highs. CEO Insider Sale SEC Filing

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 141,775 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $41,422,000 after acquiring an additional 64,757 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 236.7% during the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 6,502 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,976,000 after purchasing an additional 4,571 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 143,492 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $43,606,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 1.7% in the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 58,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $17,096,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $1,120,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.