McDonald's Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Westchester Capital Management Inc.

Westchester Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of McDonald's Co. (NYSE:MCD - Free Report) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 51,363 shares of the fast-food giant's stock after selling 1,145 shares during the period. McDonald's accounts for 3.7% of Westchester Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Westchester Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in McDonald's were worth $14,890,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Fairway Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of McDonald's by 110.0% during the fourth quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 105 shares of the fast-food giant's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald's during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at McDonald's

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $291.10, for a total transaction of $319,918.90. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,187 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,383,235.70. This represents a 11.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 3,409 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.15, for a total value of $989,121.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 9,675 shares in the company, valued at $2,807,201.25. The trade was a 26.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,504 shares of company stock worth $10,206,575. Insiders own 0.23% of the company's stock.

McDonald's Stock Down 3.3 %

Shares of MCD stock opened at $306.65 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $296.57 and a 200-day moving average of $296.68. McDonald's Co. has a 12 month low of $243.53 and a 12 month high of $326.32. The firm has a market cap of $219.09 billion, a PE ratio of 26.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71.

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McDonald's (NYSE:MCD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.83. McDonald's had a negative return on equity of 181.63% and a net margin of 31.73%. As a group, equities analysts predict that McDonald's Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald's Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. McDonald's's payout ratio is presently 62.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of McDonald's from $336.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. TD Securities reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Monday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on McDonald's from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Loop Capital reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of McDonald's in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on McDonald's from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.61.

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.

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