McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) EVP Sells $769,108.68 in Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This trade represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

McDonald’s Stock Down 2.0%

NYSE:MCD traded down $5.48 on Monday, reaching $273.72. 2,057,817 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,491,002. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a fifty day moving average of $295.34 and a 200-day moving average of $308.63. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $271.98 and a 52-week high of $341.75.

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

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on MCD shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on McDonald’s from $371.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $340.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $334.45.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $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 valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Company 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.