NS Partners Ltd Purchases 957 Shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD)

Key Points

• NS Partners Ltd has increased its holdings in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 0.8%, totaling 128,443 shares worth approximately $40.1 million.
• Wall Street analysts have adjusted their target prices for McDonald's, with the consensus rating currently at "Hold" and a target price of $326.00.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.77 per share, representing a dividend yield of 2.3% and a payout ratio of 60.67%.

NS Partners Ltd increased its position in McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 128,443 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after acquiring an additional 957 shares during the quarter. McDonald's comprises 1.8% of NS Partners Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. NS Partners Ltd's holdings in McDonald's were worth $40,122,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in McDonald's in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new position in McDonald's in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in McDonald's in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in McDonald's in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Copia Wealth Management bought a new position in McDonald's in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $299.49, for a total transaction of $281,221.11. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,283 shares in the company, valued at $2,780,165.67. This represents a 9.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,487 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total value of $770,970.00. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 7,280 shares of company stock worth $2,215,178 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

McDonald's Stock Performance

NYSE:MCD traded down $2.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $305.62. The stock had a trading volume of 2,621,959 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,681,905. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $298.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $304.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.52. McDonald's Corporation has a one year low of $265.33 and a one year high of $326.32.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The fast-food giant reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $6.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.68 billion. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 225.52% and a net margin of 32.21%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.97 EPS. Research analysts forecast that McDonald's Corporation will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $350.00 price target (up previously from $345.00) on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Thursday. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on McDonald's from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Redburn Atlantic reiterated a "sell" rating and set a $260.00 price target (down previously from $319.00) on shares of McDonald's in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on McDonald's from $324.00 to $326.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Northcoast Research downgraded McDonald's from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $326.87.

McDonald's Company 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.