McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.

Valley Brook Capital Group Inc. lowered its stake in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 6,685 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 55 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s comprises 1.4% of Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Valley Brook Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,938,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of MCD opened at $310.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $222.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.74. McDonald’s Co. has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $317.90. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $291.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $291.56.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.79% and a negative return on equity of 175.42%. Equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s Co. will post 11.73 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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 2.28%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MCD shares. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $312.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.61.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total transaction of $84,225.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,887 shares in the company, valued at $2,214,275.25. This represents a 3.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 3,409 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.15, for a total transaction of $989,121.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 9,675 shares in the company, valued at $2,807,201.25. This trade represents a 26.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,406 shares of company stock worth $2,150,857. Company insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s 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, Russia, Spain, and the U.K.