Desiree Ralls-Morrison Sells 2,763 Shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,760.48. This represents a 30.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.2%

MCD opened at $276.61 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $196.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $294.66 and its 200-day moving average is $308.42. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $271.98 and a 52-week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.67 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MCD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday. Argus upgraded shares of McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $356.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $334.45.

More McDonald’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s unveiled its new “McDonald’s NEXT” strategy, centered on automation, improved restaurant design, better-tasting food, stronger hospitality, and more effective social media marketing. Investors may view this as a clear roadmap to reignite traffic and long-term sales growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted that McDonald’s is leaning on value meals, chicken innovation, and restaurant upgrades to gain market share in a cautious consumer environment, which could help sustain demand even if spending stays weak. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer also named McDonald’s as a defensive stock to own outside the AI trade, suggesting it could benefit if investors rotate into steadier, out-of-favor sectors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s strategy update also emphasizes making stores easier to run and improving efficiency, which could support margins over time but likely won’t show immediate results. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP recently sold shares, which can add some caution, but the transaction appears routine and is not by itself a strong fundamental warning. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McDonald’s

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, DecisionPoint Financial LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% in the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

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.