S.A. Mason LLC Boosts Stake in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

S.A. Mason LLC increased its holdings in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 8.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 3,007 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 222 shares during the period. S.A. Mason LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $891,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC increased its position in McDonald’s by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 80,441 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $21,191,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. First National Bank of Mount Dora Trust Investment Services lifted its stake in shares of McDonald’s by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Mount Dora Trust Investment Services now owns 11,025 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $3,269,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the period. Mengis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonald’s by 7.9% in the third quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,522 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $1,191,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in McDonald’s by 7.7% during the third quarter. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,227 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $282.02 on Thursday. McDonald’s Co. has a 12 month low of $245.73 and a 12 month high of $302.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $203.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.38, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.72. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $290.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $280.92.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The fast-food giant reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.12. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 171.96% and a net margin of 33.22%. The firm had revenue of $6.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.59 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 57.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on MCD. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $345.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Evercore ISI restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $291.00 to $341.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. HSBC began coverage on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Wednesday, December 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $320.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total transaction of $312,533.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 18,075 shares in the company, valued at $5,140,168.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Profile

McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions.