Infusive Asset Management Inc. Cuts Position in McDonald's Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Infusive Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of McDonald's Co. (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 53.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 24,936 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 28,200 shares during the quarter. McDonald's makes up about 3.2% of Infusive Asset Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Infusive Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $7,229,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MCD. Morse Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of McDonald's by 12.8% in the third quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc now owns 3,385 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $1,031,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald's by 11.6% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,537 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in McDonald's in the third quarter worth approximately $1,647,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in McDonald's by 1.9% in the third quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,544 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $2,906,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Finally, Tudor Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonald's in the 3rd quarter valued at $394,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McDonald's Stock Up 3.0 %

NYSE MCD traded up $9.22 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $317.94. The stock had a trading volume of 1,268,797 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,682,830. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $307.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $299.33. The company has a market cap of $227.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.91, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.62. McDonald's Co. has a 52-week low of $243.53 and a 52-week high of $326.32.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that McDonald's Co. will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. McDonald's's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Erste Group Bank upgraded McDonald's from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on McDonald's from $312.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of McDonald's from $340.00 to $335.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of McDonald's from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of McDonald's from $310.00 to $300.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Nine research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $322.87.

Insider Activity at McDonald's

In other McDonald's news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of McDonald's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total value of $84,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,214,275.25. The trade was a 3.66 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total value of $3,255,525.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 32,756 shares in the company, valued at $10,155,997.80. This trade represents a 24.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 27,497 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,400. 0.23% of the stock is owned by 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.