National Pension Service Buys 24,333 Shares of McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

National Pension Service grew its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,557,348 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,333 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $475,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% in the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Painted Porch Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 735.7% in the third quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out fresh promotions, including a 2026 FIFA World Cup Happy Meal, Squishmallows tie-ins, and regional beverage offerings such as refreshers and dirty sodas, which could help drive customer traffic and keep the brand highly visible. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remains generally constructive, with analyst coverage still reflecting a moderate buy outlook and price targets above the current share price, suggesting some investors see the stock as undervalued. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to benefit from its strong brand moat and recurring franchise-driven cash flow, which supports earnings resilience even in a tougher consumer backdrop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: An insider sale by Joseph M. Erlinger of 333 shares was disclosed, but the transaction was small and does not by itself signal a major shift in the company’s outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Viral social media interest in a McDonald’s nugget “hack” may help brand buzz, but it is unlikely to materially change fundamentals on its own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s said it cannot meet its 2030 emissions targets and also missed a packaging goal, which could create ESG-related pressure and weigh on sentiment. Article Title

McDonald’s Stock Down 1.1%

McDonald’s stock opened at $277.91 on Friday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52 week low of $271.98 and a 52 week high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $197.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $296.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $308.77.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 442.10% and a net margin of 31.62%.The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 61.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. Piper Sandler raised their price target on McDonald’s from $323.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $260.00 to $306.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group raised their price target on McDonald’s from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.45.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 333 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.11, for a total transaction of $93,276.63. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,166,370.74. The trade was a 4.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 5,918 shares of company stock worth $1,862,485 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s 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.