Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC Has $29.96 Million Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 103,389 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,143 shares during the period. McDonald’s comprises approximately 2.2% of Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $29,961,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MCD. TD Securities reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $336.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of McDonald’s from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price 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. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.61.

McDonald’s Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of MCD stock opened at $300.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $214.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.34, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.71. McDonald’s Co. has a 52-week low of $243.53 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The company’s 50 day moving average is $296.96 and its 200 day moving average is $296.84.

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, 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%. 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 will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. McDonald’s’s payout ratio is 62.16%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 10,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.05, for a total value of $3,255,525.00. Following the completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Tiffanie L. Boyd sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.27, for a total value of $309,270.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,564 shares in the company, valued at $1,720,778.28. The trade was a 15.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 33,504 shares of company stock worth $10,206,575. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

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.