McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Acquired by Stephens Inc. AR

Stephens Inc. AR lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 2.6% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 72,438 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $22,761,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 95.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, DecisionPoint Financial LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% in the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total transaction of $769,108.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,760.48. This trade represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,307 shares of company stock valued at $3,262,622. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $280.48 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $280.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $303.11. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12 month low of $264.53 and a 12 month high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $199.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.41.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, June 12th. Evercore set a $350.00 target price on McDonald’s in a report on Friday, May 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the company from $260.00 to $306.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.70.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s stock was lifted by a UBS note highlighting it as an attractive defensive dividend name, helping support the shares as investors rotate toward stable cash-generating companies. Why McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to appeal to income investors after its latest quarterly dividend, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most reliable dividend payers in the Dow. Despite Franchisees Struggling, McDonald’s Dividend Keeps Rising
• Positive Sentiment: New menu and promotional chatter, including Happy Meal tie-ins, free fries offers, and added chicken items, could help drive customer engagement and traffic. BT21 Toys Teases Coming To McDonald’s Happy Meals On July 14
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is also getting broader media attention around its brand history and restaurant expansion plans, but these items are not likely to move the stock much on their own. The McDonald’s Big Mac jingle from the mid ’70s that still lives in our heads
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s hired a new development executive to support its NEXT strategy, which signals execution progress but is still more of a long-term operating update than an immediate stock catalyst. McDonald’s taps Raising Cane’s vet to lead development
• Negative Sentiment: A Trefis report said McDonald’s is facing a real risk from trying to win over budget-conscious customers, with franchisee strain from inflation and weak consumer sentiment weighing on the system. The Real Risk Squeezing McDonald’s Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Another recent analysis said MCD is near 52-week lows because of margin pressure at franchisees and softer foot traffic, which continues to limit enthusiasm despite the dividend appeal. Should You Buy McDonald’s (MCD) At 52-Week Lows

About McDonald’s

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.