Horizon Investment Services LLC Trims Position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Horizon Investment Services LLC trimmed its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 7.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 708 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after selling 60 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC grew its position in 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 buying an additional 55 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

McDonald’s Price Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $306.95 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $301.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $298.10. McDonald’s Co. has a one year low of $243.53 and a one year high of $326.32. The company has a market capitalization of $219.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.95, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.83. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.73% and a negative return on equity of 181.63%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Tiffanie L. Boyd sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,564 shares in the company, valued at $1,720,778.28. This represents a 15.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 3,409 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.15, for a total transaction of $989,121.35. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 9,675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,807,201.25. This trade represents a 26.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 32,405 shares of company stock valued at $9,886,656. 0.23% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MCD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on McDonald’s from $340.00 to $335.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays boosted their price target 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. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.61.

McDonald’s 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.