McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Acquired by Verdence Capital Advisors LLC

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 12,280 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $3,560,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 1,300 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $396,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 17,809 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,317,000 after acquiring an additional 1,451 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter worth $102,000. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 13,611 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $4,145,000 after acquiring an additional 1,119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ASB Consultores LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 3rd quarter worth $284,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $305.66 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $294.54 and its 200-day moving average is $295.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.84, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.74. McDonald’s Co. has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $317.90.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $336.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $336.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Wedbush raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.61.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total transaction of $84,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,214,275.25. This trade represents a 3.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total transaction of $3,255,525.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 32,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,155,997.80. This represents a 24.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 33,504 shares of company stock valued at $10,206,575 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

About McDonald’s

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.