IFM Investors Pty Ltd Raises Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

IFM Investors Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 3.1% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 140,277 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 4,259 shares during the quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $43,597,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,351,127 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $22,112,675,000 after purchasing an additional 703,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,983,997 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $10,997,789,000 after purchasing an additional 959,140 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,038,519 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $5,195,965,000 after purchasing an additional 76,090 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,474,749 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $2,895,768,000 after purchasing an additional 277,617 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,890,438,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $270.45 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $281.81 and a 200 day moving average of $303.92. The stock has a market cap of $192.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 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 posted 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 business had revenue of $6.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.67 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were issued a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 61.34%.

Trending Headlines about McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lowered its price target on McDonald’s but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence that the stock still has meaningful upside from current levels.
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is getting attention for promotional and product news, including a $2.50 Big Mac deal in Central Florida, a nationwide return of a fan-favorite menu item after 34 years, and free limited-edition FIFA collectible cups, all of which could help drive traffic and engagement.
• Positive Sentiment: A new McDonald’s location reportedly could create 120 jobs, reinforcing franchise expansion and local growth narratives.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles argue the stock may have already hit bottom, with one note suggesting recent weakness may have been overdone as gas prices fall and consumer pressure could ease.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple lifestyle pieces about McDonald’s menu history and ordering hacks are largely brand-related and are unlikely to materially affect the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: One report said McDonald’s recently launched three new menu items that have sparked widespread dissatisfaction, which could weigh on sentiment if customer reaction stays weak.
• Negative Sentiment: Another article noted that investors are watching restaurant beverage competition closely, including McDonald’s new crafted beverage push, which highlights rising competitive pressure in a key traffic driver category.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on MCD. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Cfra upgraded McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp cut their price target on McDonald’s from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.70.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 11,307 shares of company stock worth $3,262,622 in the last quarter. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.