Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 4,254 Shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its position in shares of McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 156,230 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 4,254 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in McDonald’s were worth $45,414,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Atala Financial Inc bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth about $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 acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

NYSE:MCD opened at $306.83 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $219.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.94, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a 1-year low of $243.53 and a 1-year high of $326.32. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $297.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $297.19.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MCD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of McDonald’s from $347.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered 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 report on Monday. TD Securities reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $342.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.39.

Insider Activity at McDonald’s

In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.75, for a total transaction of $84,225.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,214,275.25. This trade represents a 3.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Tiffanie L. Boyd sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.27, for a total transaction of $309,270.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,720,778.28. The trade was a 15.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. 0.23% of the stock is owned by company 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.