McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Birinyi Associates Inc.

Birinyi Associates Inc. cut its holdings in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 14.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,300 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 1,079 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s comprises 0.5% of Birinyi Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Birinyi Associates Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,826,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD opened at $310.84 on Wednesday. McDonald’s Co. has a 12 month low of $243.53 and a 12 month high of $317.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $293.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $294.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $222.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.74.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. Equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.28%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,099 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $304.60, for a total transaction of $334,755.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares in the company, valued at approximately $475,176. The trade was a 41.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total transaction of $84,225.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,214,275.25. This trade represents a 3.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 32,504 shares of company stock valued at $9,897,305. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on MCD. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $336.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Wedbush upped their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.61.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K.