Cambridge Trust Co. Grows Stake in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD)

Cambridge Trust Co. grew its holdings in McDonald’s Co. (NYSE:MCD) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 97,043 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 488 shares during the quarter. McDonald’s makes up about 1.2% of Cambridge Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Cambridge Trust Co.’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $28,774,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MCD. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in McDonald’s by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 123 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Retirement Group LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Bear Mountain Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

McDonald’s Stock Down 0.2 %

McDonald’s stock traded down $0.50 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $269.45. 1,621,298 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,224,743. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $283.86 and its 200-day moving average is $280.69. McDonald’s Co. has a 12 month low of $245.73 and a 12 month high of $302.39. The stock has a market cap of $194.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.27, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.71.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The fast-food giant reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.12. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 171.96% and a net margin of 33.22%. The company had revenue of $6.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.45 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.59 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonald’s Co. will post 12.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.48%. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonald’s

In other McDonald’s news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total transaction of $312,533.62. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,075 shares in the company, valued at $5,140,168.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MCD shares. Citigroup dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $312.00 to $297.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America boosted their target price on McDonald’s from $291.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Friday, January 5th. BTIG Research downgraded McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, HSBC started coverage on McDonald’s in a report on Wednesday, December 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 target price on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonald’s has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $319.72.

About McDonald’s

McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions.