McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Gray Wealth Management Inc.

Gray Wealth Management Inc. reduced its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,421 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 114 shares during the period. Gray Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $718,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 106,340.3% in the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,235,890 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $5,069,234,000 after purchasing an additional 19,217,818 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,341,360,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 10,702.5% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,174,426 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $644,739,000 after buying an additional 2,154,297 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 1,189.7% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,191,692 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $541,962,000 after buying an additional 2,021,754 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 31,574.5% during the 2nd quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC now owns 1,628,069 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $162,807,000 after purchasing an additional 1,622,929 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD traded up $1.03 during trading on Thursday, hitting $270.98. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,298,068 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,247,489. McDonald’s Co. has a fifty-two week low of $245.73 and a fifty-two week high of $302.39. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $283.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $280.69. The company has a market capitalization of $195.38 billion, a PE ratio of 23.27, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The fast-food giant reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.12. McDonald’s had a net margin of 33.22% and a negative return on equity of 171.96%. The business had revenue of $6.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.59 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.74%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total value of $312,533.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,140,168.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday, February 5th. StockNews.com downgraded McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Bank of America raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $291.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday, March 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $335.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $319.72.

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.