McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Stake Lowered by Hartford Investment Management Co.

Hartford Investment Management Co. decreased its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 44,237 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 786 shares during the period. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $12,824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in McDonald’s in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in McDonald’s in the third quarter worth $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE MCD opened at $310.16 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $222.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.74. McDonald’s Co. has a twelve month low of $243.53 and a twelve month high of $317.90. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $291.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $291.56.

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

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays raised their target price on McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Wedbush upped their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Loop Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Baird R W cut shares of McDonald’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, TD Securities reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.61.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,499 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.95, for a total value of $436,134.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $453,882. The trade was a 49.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,406 shares of company stock valued at $2,150,857. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.