McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Stake Boosted by Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.

Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,685 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. McDonald’s comprises approximately 1.7% of Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,982,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in McDonald’s by 10,702.5% in the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 2,154,297 shares during the last quarter. J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $192,165,000. AMF Tjanstepension AB boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 174.7% in the third quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 947,653 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $249,693,000 after purchasing an additional 602,707 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 16.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,997,877 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $789,762,000 after buying an additional 429,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Winslow Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 39.6% in the 3rd quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC now owns 1,306,329 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $344,139,000 after acquiring an additional 370,699 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD traded down $2.96 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $270.32. The stock had a trading volume of 2,642,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,812,742. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a 52 week low of $245.73 and a 52 week high of $302.39. The company’s fifty day moving average is $279.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $282.76.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The fast-food giant reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.71 by ($0.01). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 180.54% and a net margin of 33.36%. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.63 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 56.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MCD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Citigroup cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $312.00 to $297.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on McDonald’s from $327.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 12th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $317.74.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.64, for a total value of $303,750.72. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 16,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,696,517.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.64, for a total transaction of $303,750.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 16,977 shares in the company, valued at $4,696,517.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

McDonald’s Profile

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.