Joseph M. Erlinger Sells 939 Shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 939 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total value of $286,395.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,978 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,263,290. The trade was a 6.29 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $304.02 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $217.87 billion, a PE ratio of 26.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.74. McDonald’s Co. has a 52 week low of $243.53 and a 52 week high of $317.90. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $293.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $294.72.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS 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%. As a group, equities analysts expect that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 2.33%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $342.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Wedbush lifted 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. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.61.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.