McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Stock Holdings Lessened by First County Bank CT

First County Bank CT lessened its stake in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 1.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,522 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 75 shares during the quarter. First County Bank CT’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Kings Path Partners LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Stock Up 1.1 %

MCD opened at $303.65 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $280.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $271.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $217.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.72. McDonald’s Co. has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $304.29.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The fast-food giant reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.07 by ($0.10). McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 178.68% and a net margin of 32.25%. The company had revenue of $6.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.17 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This is an increase from McDonald’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.33%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.71%.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $387,285.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $387,285.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.00, for a total value of $285,740.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,681 shares in the company, valued at $3,557,060. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 23,958 shares of company stock worth $7,032,111 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MCD. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on McDonald’s from $284.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $295.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Bank of America lowered their price target on McDonald’s from $288.00 to $278.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on McDonald’s from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $308.22.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions.