Smart Portfolios LLC Acquires 700 Shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Smart Portfolios LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 40.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,443 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. Smart Portfolios LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Boltwood Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Boltwood Capital Management now owns 1,882 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Pettee Investors Inc. grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Pettee Investors Inc. now owns 5,401 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,566,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Modus Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Modus Advisors LLC now owns 9,396 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,724,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 736 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Barn Wealth LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Barn Wealth LLC now owns 871 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $252,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

MCD stock opened at $306.65 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.09 billion, a PE ratio of 26.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a 1 year low of $243.53 and a 1 year high of $326.32. The company’s 50-day moving average is $296.57 and its 200-day moving average is $296.68.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. On average, analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MCD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Loop Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on McDonald’s from $297.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Wedbush upped their price objective on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.61.

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.