McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by Swedbank AB

Swedbank AB reduced its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,062,158 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 42,353 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $330,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth about $2,890,438,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 30,979.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $806,917,000 after buying an additional 2,587,986 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its stake in McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after buying an additional 2,515,515 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its stake in McDonald’s by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $913,157,000 after buying an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 36.6% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,396,837 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,336,155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,179,244 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary says McDonald’s outperformed during a weak tech day, reinforcing its status as a defensive “nervous money” name and a possible sign that income investors are rotating into the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to frame McDonald’s as a strong dividend and quality consumer-staples holding, which can support the stock when markets are uncertain. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and menu headlines point to continued merchandising and product refreshes, including new billboards, a BT21 Happy Meals launch, and an item that is “finally getting better,” all of which may help engagement and store traffic. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A piece comparing Chipotle and McDonald’s argues the fast-food backdrop is diverging, but it does not clearly change the near-term outlook for MCD on its own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market chatter suggests traders are positioning for a larger move in MCD, but it does not provide a clear fundamental catalyst by itself. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles note competition in fast food remains intense, with rivals and burger chains battling for share, which can pressure traffic and pricing power over time. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,307 shares of company stock worth $3,262,622. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock traded up $3.36 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $282.86. The company had a trading volume of 1,274,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,757,435. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $280.25 and a 200-day moving average of $303.11. The company has a market capitalization of $200.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.36, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 12-month low of $264.53 and a 12-month high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 442.10% and a net margin of 31.62%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.67 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 EPS for the current 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded McDonald’s from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $306.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $335.70.

McDonald’s Company Profile

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.