Next Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Next Capital Management LLC raised its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,472 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the quarter. Next Capital Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $1,296,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atala Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in McDonald’s in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in McDonald’s during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 110.0% in the 4th quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 105 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE MCD opened at $303.60 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $297.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $297.13. McDonald’s Co. has a 52-week low of $243.53 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The company has a market cap of $216.91 billion, a PE ratio of 26.66, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,499 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.95, for a total value of $436,134.05. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,560 shares in the company, valued at $453,882. This represents a 49.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Tiffanie L. Boyd sold 1,000 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.27, for a total value of $309,270.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,564 shares in the company, valued at $1,720,778.28. This trade represents a 15.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 33,504 shares of company stock worth $10,206,575 in the last three months. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MCD. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on McDonald’s from $342.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on McDonald’s from $297.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, TD Securities reissued a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.39.

About McDonald’s

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.