[Form 4] McDonald's Corporation Insider Trading Activity
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Edith Flatley Morgan, EVP - Global CMO of McDonald’s Corporation (MCD), reported multiple transactions on 08/20/2025. She exercised 4,692 stock options with an exercise price of $157.79 per share and immediately sold 4,692 shares at $315.00 per share, and sold an additional 24 shares at $315.00. After these transactions her reported beneficial ownership is 7,857.56 shares. The option grant referenced was originally awarded on February 19, 2018, and became exercisable in 25% increments on each anniversary; the options shown remain exercisable through their stated schedule with an expiration tied to the grant terms.
Positive
- Realized gain per share: The exercised options at $157.79 and sales at $315.00 imply a pre-tax spread of $157.21 per share on 4,692 shares.
- Compliance: The filing is executed and signed (attorney-in-fact) and the form indicates the transaction was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan.
Negative
- Reduced insider ownership: Beneficial ownership declined to 7,857.56 shares after the transactions, following the sale of 4,716 shares (4,692 + 24).
Insights
TL;DR: Insider exercised options at $157.79 then sold at $315, reducing holdings materially but realizing a significant per-share spread.
The filing documents a routine Section 16 disclosure: exercise of 4,692 options and near-immediate sale of the same number of shares at a substantially higher market price. The per-share spread of $157.21 (315.00 minus 157.79) implies a realized pre-tax gain on the disposed shares. Total shares beneficially owned decreased to 7,857.56, reflecting the net effect of the exercise and subsequent sales. This is a transactional liquidity event by an executive rather than a corporate action or change in control; it is material only to the extent it changes insider ownership levels and signals a typical option exercise/sell pattern.
TL;DR: Transactions appear compliant and were filed promptly; they follow an earlier grant schedule from 2018.
The report references options granted on February 19, 2018 that vest in 25% increments annually, consistent with standard equity compensation practices. The filing is signed by an attorney-in-fact and checks the box indicating the transaction was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which, if accurate, provides procedural protection for planned trades. The drop in reported beneficial ownership to 7,857.56 is clear from the data; there is no disclosure here of additional arrangements or irregularities in reporting.