McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) Shares Sold by Shelton Capital Management

Shelton Capital Management trimmed its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,952 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 76 shares during the period. Shelton Capital Management’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $2,305,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MCD. Boltwood Capital Management lifted its position in shares of McDonald’s by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Boltwood Capital Management now owns 1,882 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $546,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Pettee Investors Inc. increased its stake in McDonald’s by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Pettee Investors Inc. now owns 5,401 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,566,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Modus Advisors LLC raised its holdings in McDonald’s by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Modus Advisors LLC now owns 9,396 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $2,724,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. boosted its position in McDonald’s by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 736 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $213,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Barn Wealth LLC grew its holdings in McDonald’s by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Barn Wealth LLC now owns 871 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at McDonald’s

In other news, CMO Edith Morgan Flatley sold 3,200 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total transaction of $962,432.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 9,858 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,892.08. This trade represents a 24.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total transaction of $3,255,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 32,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,155,997.80. The trade was a 24.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 27,497 shares of company stock valued at $8,461,400 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of MCD opened at $299.35 on Wednesday. McDonald’s Co. has a twelve month low of $243.53 and a twelve month high of $326.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $213.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $304.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $298.86.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 negative return on equity of 181.63% and a net margin of 31.73%. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.37%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. KeyCorp lifted their price target on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on McDonald’s from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.87.

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.