IVC Wealth Advisors LLC Trims Position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

IVC Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,075 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 45 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s makes up about 0.8% of IVC Wealth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. IVC Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,431,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MCD. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

MCD traded up $2.25 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $250.04. The stock had a trading volume of 2,026,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,426,628. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $262.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $278.52. McDonald’s Co. has a twelve month low of $245.73 and a twelve month high of $302.39. The company has a market capitalization of $180.20 billion, a PE ratio of 21.18, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The fast-food giant reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.71 by ($0.01). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 180.74% and a net margin of 33.36%. The firm had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.63 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.19 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 56.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other McDonald’s news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $387,285.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,098 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.64, for a total value of $303,750.72. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,696,517.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total transaction of $371,893.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $387,285.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,593 shares of company stock valued at $1,472,518. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on MCD. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, March 25th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $302.00 to $288.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Wedbush decreased their price target on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $288.00 price objective on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $313.89.

About McDonald’s

McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions.