Insider Selling: McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) CEO Sells $3,255,525.00 in Stock

McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total transaction of $3,255,525.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 32,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,155,997.80. This trade represents a 24.27 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

McDonald’s Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of McDonald’s stock opened at $308.59 on Friday. McDonald’s Co. has a 12-month low of $243.53 and a 12-month high of $317.90. The company has a market cap of $221.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.09, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $291.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $292.53.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly 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 31.79% and a negative return on equity of 175.42%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 11.73 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.29%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonald’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC grew its stake 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 buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on MCD. TD Securities restated a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $336.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $285.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $342.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.