McDonald’s Corporation $MCD Shares Sold by NS Partners Ltd

NS Partners Ltd reduced its stake in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 64.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 41,072 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 76,067 shares during the period. NS Partners Ltd’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $11,102,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the first quarter worth $33,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back its popular Spicy McNuggets on September 1 and introducing limited-time or exclusive meals. The promotions could attract customers and improve traffic, although their financial impact remains uncertain. McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Plunges to 52-Week Low Despite Spicy McNuggets Comeback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are described as moderately optimistic despite McDonald’s lagging the S&P 500 over the past year. The company’s franchise-heavy model and recurring cash generation may provide longer-term support, while some traditional valuation measures suggest the shares could be relatively inexpensive. Is McDonald’s Stock Underperforming the S&P 500? McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Looks Fairly Priced With Limited Valuation Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s and Taco Bell have launched new energy drinks close together, signaling an effort to capture afternoon demand in an increasingly crowded beverage category. The initiative could create incremental sales but also raises competitive and marketing risks. McDonald’s and Taco Bell Are Fighting Over Your 3 P.M. Pick-Me-Up — Here’s Who’s Winning
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss menu customization, returning fan-favorite items, regional offerings and operational topics such as ice-cream machines and breakfast preparation. These stories may influence customer engagement but provide limited evidence of a material near-term earnings effect. The easy McDonald’s ordering trick for a basic hamburger with extra flavor A Fan-Favorite McDonald’s Menu Item Is Back
• Negative Sentiment: The most important bearish signal is that MCD recently touched a 52-week low amid declining guest counts. This suggests current promotions are viewed as necessary traffic-recovery measures rather than proof that demand has already stabilized. McDonald’s (MCD) Stock Plunges to 52-Week Low Despite Spicy McNuggets Comeback

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $264.26 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.47, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $259.85 and a one year high of $341.75. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $270.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $291.04.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.19 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.87 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is presently 60.44%.

Insider Activity 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 stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $322.00 to $319.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore set a $320.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $315.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $286.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.96.

McDonald’s 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.