Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Grows Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 365.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,590 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,960 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $2,359,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Wealth Services increased its stake in McDonald’s by 3,294.5% in the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 11,779 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,600,000 after buying an additional 11,432 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 84.4% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 35,510 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $10,853,000 after buying an additional 16,252 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Sarl boosted its position in McDonald’s by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 64,256 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $19,639,000 after buying an additional 6,079 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $7,493,000. Finally, Pittenger & Anderson Inc. grew its stake in McDonald’s by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 21,487 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 3,866 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out several limited-time menu items, including new chicken products and a Caesar sauce, which could boost customer traffic and add to sales momentum. McDonald’s Is Releasing 4 New Menu Items for a Limited Time
• Positive Sentiment: The new Caesar sauce and related chicken sandwich/snack wrap offerings signal continued menu innovation, which investors may view as a way to defend market share in a mixed restaurant environment. McDonald’s upcoming Caesar sauce brings a new sandwich and snack wrap to the summer menu
• Positive Sentiment: The BT21 Happy Meal promotion adds a collectible, marketing-driven sales event that could attract families and drive near-term visits. How Long Will the BT21 Happy Meal Be Available at McDonald’s?
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage focuses on the new PlayPlace design and toy promotions, which are good for brand buzz but are unlikely to materially change fundamentals on their own. People Are Talking About McDonald’s New “See-Through” PlayPlace Design
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and valuation-related articles suggest MCD may look attractive on a long-term basis, but they do not appear to be major catalysts by themselves. MCD at $268, Starbucks at $106: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target on McDonald’s, which may temper enthusiasm even though it kept a buy rating. Benzinga report on Citigroup price target cut

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $264.88 on Thursday. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $264.09 and a 12-month high of $341.75. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $277.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $300.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $188.20 billion, a PE ratio of 21.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 442.10% and a net margin of 31.62%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.67 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 61.34%.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total value of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of McDonald’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 transaction of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,681 shares of company stock valued at $2,456,440 over the last quarter. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Evercore set a $350.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, May 8th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on McDonald’s from $355.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $336.35.

About McDonald’s

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.