McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Purchased by Ascentis Independent Advisors

Ascentis Independent Advisors lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 40.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,148 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,089 shares during the quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors’ holdings in McDonald’s were worth $4,398,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in McDonald’s by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $22,112,675,000 after buying an additional 703,458 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,997,789,000 after acquiring an additional 959,140 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,195,965,000 after acquiring an additional 76,090 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,895,768,000 after acquiring an additional 277,617 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $2,890,438,000. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $280.48 on Monday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 1 year low of $264.53 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The stock has a market cap of $199.29 billion, a PE ratio of 23.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.41. The business’s fifty day moving average is $280.25 and its 200-day moving average is $303.11.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.67 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 11,307 shares of company stock valued at $3,262,622 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s stock was lifted by a UBS note highlighting it as an attractive defensive dividend name, helping support the shares as investors rotate toward stable cash-generating companies. Why McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s continues to appeal to income investors after its latest quarterly dividend, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most reliable dividend payers in the Dow. Despite Franchisees Struggling, McDonald’s Dividend Keeps Rising
• Positive Sentiment: New menu and promotional chatter, including Happy Meal tie-ins, free fries offers, and added chicken items, could help drive customer engagement and traffic. BT21 Toys Teases Coming To McDonald’s Happy Meals On July 14
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is also getting broader media attention around its brand history and restaurant expansion plans, but these items are not likely to move the stock much on their own. The McDonald’s Big Mac jingle from the mid ’70s that still lives in our heads
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s hired a new development executive to support its NEXT strategy, which signals execution progress but is still more of a long-term operating update than an immediate stock catalyst. McDonald’s taps Raising Cane’s vet to lead development
• Negative Sentiment: A Trefis report said McDonald’s is facing a real risk from trying to win over budget-conscious customers, with franchisee strain from inflation and weak consumer sentiment weighing on the system. The Real Risk Squeezing McDonald’s Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Another recent analysis said MCD is near 52-week lows because of margin pressure at franchisees and softer foot traffic, which continues to limit enthusiasm despite the dividend appeal. Should You Buy McDonald’s (MCD) At 52-Week Lows

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Cfra upgraded McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Evercore set a $350.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price objective on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $335.70.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.