IFP Advisors Inc Cuts Stake in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD)

IFP Advisors Inc trimmed its stake in shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 25.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,563 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 7,360 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc's holdings in McDonald's were worth $6,736,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Aspen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald's during the 1st quarter worth about $201,000. OneAscent Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald's by 134.5% during the 1st quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 7,428 shares of the fast-food giant's stock worth $2,326,000 after buying an additional 4,261 shares during the last quarter. Counterweight Ventures LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald's during the 1st quarter worth about $336,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of McDonald's by 113.9% in the 1st quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald's in the 1st quarter valued at about $620,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald's Price Performance

NYSE:MCD traded up $2.15 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $297.89. 1,423,201 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,518,311. The firm's 50-day moving average is $302.50 and its 200-day moving average is $302.88. The stock has a market cap of $213.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. McDonald's Corporation has a 1-year low of $246.12 and a 1-year high of $326.32.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The fast-food giant reported $2.67 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.67. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 195.27% and a net margin of 31.75%. The firm had revenue of $5.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.70 EPS. McDonald's's quarterly revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald's

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.52, for a total value of $270,920.28. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,222 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,949,251.44. This trade represents a 8.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $300,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 8,858 shares in the company, valued at $2,657,400. This trade represents a 10.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,817 shares of company stock worth $1,165,843 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.25% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. BTIG Research reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of McDonald's in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Melius began coverage on McDonald's in a report on Monday, July 14th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. TD Securities reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Thursday, June 5th. Northcoast Research downgraded McDonald's from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on McDonald's from $324.00 to $326.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $319.72.

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.