McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) Shares Acquired by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Key Points

• Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in McDonald's Corporation by 2.5%, owning a total of 592,094 shares valued at approximately $184.95 million.
• Several institutional investors have recently increased their holdings in McDonald's, with a reported 70.29% of the company's stock owned by institutional investors.
• McDonald's declared a quarterly dividend of $1.77 per share, contributing to an annualized yield of 2.3%, with the dividend payout ratio currently at 62.49%.

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its holdings in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 2.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 592,094 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after buying an additional 14,279 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned approximately 0.08% of McDonald's worth $184,952,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in McDonald's by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,652,445 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $3,088,037,000 after purchasing an additional 531,070 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 11.2% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 8,867,193 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,570,511,000 after acquiring an additional 895,896 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald's by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,019,019 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,454,963,000 after acquiring an additional 504,085 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 4,595,245 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $1,332,116,000 after purchasing an additional 226,752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in McDonald's by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,501,727 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,304,965,000 after buying an additional 74,250 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company's stock.

McDonald's Stock Performance

Shares of MCD traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $307.33. The company had a trading volume of 1,377,261 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,611,894. McDonald's Corporation has a 52-week low of $265.33 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $298.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $303.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The fast-food giant reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.04. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 195.27% and a net margin of 31.75%. The company had revenue of $6.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.97 earnings per share. McDonald's's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 2nd. McDonald's's payout ratio is 60.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on McDonald's from $324.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on McDonald's from $327.00 to $322.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Redburn Atlantic reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $260.00 price target (down previously from $319.00) on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of McDonald's from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $325.57.

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,487 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $770,970.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,713,740. The trade was a 22.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $299.49, for a total value of $281,221.11. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,780,165.67. This represents a 9.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,280 shares of company stock valued at $2,215,178. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.