Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Grows Stake in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 7.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,273,368 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 93,048 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $375,363,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 110.0% in the fourth quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 105 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $313.39 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $223.91 billion, a PE ratio of 27.51, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a one year low of $243.53 and a one year high of $326.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $300.34 and a 200 day moving average of $297.89.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MCD has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $335.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on McDonald’s from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on McDonald’s from $336.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.39.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other McDonald’s news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total value of $3,255,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 32,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,155,997.80. This represents a 24.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 3,409 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.15, for a total transaction of $989,121.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 32,405 shares of company stock worth $9,886,656. 0.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.