IFP Advisors Inc Has $8.72 Million Stock Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

IFP Advisors Inc reduced its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,263 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 2,017 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $8,721,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 4,008.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 84,230 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,768,000 after acquiring an additional 82,180 shares during the period. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc. now owns 13,859 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,746,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Services lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 3,294.5% in the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 11,779 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,600,000 after purchasing an additional 11,432 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,471,725 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $397,822,000 after purchasing an additional 97,060 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.4% during the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,853,000 after purchasing an additional 16,252 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is launching several traffic-driving initiatives, including a one-day $1 cheeseburger promotion, new SpongeBob and One Piece Happy Meal toys, and a first-of-its-kind fall flavor in Canada replacing the company’s traditional pumpkin-spice offering. These campaigns could support customer visits and seasonal sales, although their financial impact is likely limited. McDonald’s Is Offering $1 Cheeseburgers
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view McDonald’s as a relatively defensive consumer stock amid uncertainty around inflation and Federal Reserve policy. Its franchise-heavy model, global scale and dividend profile may provide support if market volatility increases. Defensive Stocks to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is slowing its restaurant expansion pace to protect returns as development costs rise and consumers remain price-sensitive. The strategy may improve the economics of new locations, but it also implies a more measured growth outlook. McDonald’s Slower Expansion Pace
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s reportedly faces potentially significant fines related to the use of disposable cups. If confirmed, the penalties could increase costs and add to environmental-compliance risk. McDonald’s Faces Millions in Fines
• Negative Sentiment: Some consumer coverage criticizes new menu items and reduced children’s amenities, potentially highlighting affordability, value and customer-experience concerns. These stories are primarily reputational and are unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results on their own.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $253.59 on Thursday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $253.35 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The company has a market capitalization of $179.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.41. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $268.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $287.58.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Weiss Ratings downgraded McDonald’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $322.00 to $319.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, UBS Group set a $305.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $321.35.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.