Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Increases Position in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 7.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,884 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $9,909,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MCD. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,286 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,692,000 after buying an additional 1,649 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in McDonald’s by 11.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $589,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. United Bank grew its stake in McDonald’s by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 8,102 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,367,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in McDonald’s by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 12,938 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,780,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

NYSE MCD opened at $273.38 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $277.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $300.56. The company has a market cap of $194.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a one year low of $264.09 and a one year high of $341.75.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.34%.

McDonald’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is rolling out new limited-time items, including Caesar sauce, new chicken offerings, and other menu tests, which could help boost customer interest and restaurant traffic. McDonald’s builds its new menu around a flavor it never sold
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view McDonald’s as a strong defensive restaurant name, with commentary pointing to customer engagement, value messaging, and marketing campaigns as potential supports for sales. Can McDonald’s Global Marketing Strategy Drive Customer Traffic?
• Positive Sentiment: One Wall Street note kept a Buy rating on MCD even while trimming its price target, suggesting analysts still see upside from current levels. Citigroup price target change
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is drawing extra attention from investors and traders, with recent coverage framing the stock as a valuation and defensive-name debate rather than a clear new catalyst. MCD at $268, Starbucks at $106: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles focus on ongoing “McProblem” issues, including concerns that McDonald’s traffic and business momentum have not improved enough, which may be reinforcing investor worries about the core growth outlook. McDonald’s has a McProblem that’s not getting better
• Negative Sentiment: Another report says McDonald’s stock is near its lowest levels in almost two years, highlighting pressure from weaker sentiment and a more cautious view of the company’s growth. Why McDonald’s stock is at nearly 2-year lows

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MCD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $305.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Cfra upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Evercore set a $350.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $331.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $335.58.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $769,108.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 8,681 shares of company stock worth $2,456,440 over the last 90 days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.