Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 1,160 Shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Securian Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 38,515 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,160 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $11,165,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 110.0% in the 4th quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 105 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s Stock Down 3.3 %

NYSE:MCD opened at $306.65 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $296.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $296.68. McDonald’s Co. has a 52 week low of $243.53 and a 52 week high of $326.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.83. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 181.63% and a net margin of 31.73%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.16%.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total transaction of $84,225.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 7,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,214,275.25. This trade represents a 3.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total value of $3,255,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 32,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,155,997.80. This represents a 24.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 33,504 shares of company stock valued at $10,206,575 over the last quarter. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Loop Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. TD Securities reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on McDonald’s from $336.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Wedbush lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.61.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K.