Ninety One UK Ltd Buys New Shares in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Ninety One UK Ltd purchased a new stake in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 69,409 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $20,580,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 51.9% in the third quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 123 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Retirement Group LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Bear Mountain Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $270.98 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $283.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $280.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a 12 month low of $245.73 and a 12 month high of $302.39.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The fast-food giant reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.83 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $6.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.45 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 171.96% and a net margin of 33.22%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.59 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.33 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.47%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 57.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $335.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Barclays cut their target price on McDonald’s from $343.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $319.72.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total transaction of $312,533.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 18,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,140,168.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Company 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.