WINTON GROUP Ltd Acquires Shares of 47,960 McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 47,960 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock, valued at approximately $12,964,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,145,000. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of McDonald’s by 22.7% during the second quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,410 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $1,192,000 after buying an additional 817 shares during the period. Capital Analysts LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 2.1% in the second quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 25,260 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $6,828,000 after buying an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC raised its stake in McDonald’s by 1.4% in the second quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 23,121 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $6,250,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Community Bank N.A. boosted its position in McDonald’s by 18.8% during the 2nd quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 14,533 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock valued at $3,928,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MCD shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Argus dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Freedom Capital raised McDonald’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group set a $305.00 price target on McDonald’s in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Evercore set a $320.00 price objective on McDonald’s in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $321.35.

Key Headlines Impacting McDonald’s

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is launching several traffic-driving initiatives, including a one-day $1 cheeseburger promotion, new SpongeBob and One Piece Happy Meal toys, and a first-of-its-kind fall flavor in Canada replacing the company’s traditional pumpkin-spice offering. These campaigns could support customer visits and seasonal sales, although their financial impact is likely limited. McDonald’s Is Offering $1 Cheeseburgers
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view McDonald’s as a relatively defensive consumer stock amid uncertainty around inflation and Federal Reserve policy. Its franchise-heavy model, global scale and dividend profile may provide support if market volatility increases. Defensive Stocks to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: McDonald’s is slowing its restaurant expansion pace to protect returns as development costs rise and consumers remain price-sensitive. The strategy may improve the economics of new locations, but it also implies a more measured growth outlook. McDonald’s Slower Expansion Pace
• Negative Sentiment: McDonald’s reportedly faces potentially significant fines related to the use of disposable cups. If confirmed, the penalties could increase costs and add to environmental-compliance risk. McDonald’s Faces Millions in Fines
• Negative Sentiment: Some consumer coverage criticizes new menu items and reduced children’s amenities, potentially highlighting affordability, value and customer-experience concerns. These stories are primarily reputational and are unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results on their own.

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $253.59 on Thursday. McDonald’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $253.35 and a fifty-two week high of $341.75. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $268.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $287.58. The stock has a market cap of $179.45 billion, a PE ratio of 20.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.72% and a negative return on equity of 572.06%. The firm had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.88 EPS for the current year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.44%.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation is a global quick-service restaurant company that operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald’s brand. Its restaurants serve a menu that includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, breakfast items, desserts, salads, beverages and coffee. Offerings vary by market, and many locations provide drive-thru service, delivery and digital ordering through the McDonald’s mobile app.

The company operates through a heavily franchised business model, with restaurants owned and operated by independent franchisees, affiliates and the company itself.