Eastern Bank Has $39.46 Million Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

Eastern Bank raised its position in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 145,989 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock after buying an additional 3,472 shares during the quarter. Eastern Bank’s holdings in McDonald’s were worth $39,462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in McDonald’s during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new stake in McDonald’s in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its position in McDonald’s by 1,616.7% during the 4th quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 103 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of McDonald’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,348 shares of company stock valued at $2,355,634. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MCD shares. Cfra upgraded shares of McDonald’s to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 target price on McDonald’s in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Mizuho reduced their price target on McDonald’s from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Tigress Financial raised their price target on McDonald’s from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $331.92.

Key Stories Impacting McDonald’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s second-quarter results could benefit from its new $3 menu, promotional initiatives and potential traffic tied to the World Cup. Investors will look for evidence that value offerings are increasing visits without materially damaging margins. McDonald’s Q2 Preview: World Cup, New $3 Menu, Higher Gas Prices – Which Theme Wins Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders expect a substantial move following earnings, with some anticipating a potential new two-year low. The report and management’s outlook are likely to drive near-term volatility, particularly around U.S. comparable sales, international performance and franchisee margins. Here’s How Much McDonald’s Stock Is Expected to Move After Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Budget-conscious consumers remain under financial pressure, raising concern that customers may trade down, reduce restaurant visits or limit discretionary purchases. This makes the performance of McDonald’s value strategy especially important in the earnings release. McDonald’s to Report Q2 Earnings as Budget-Conscious Consumers Remain Under Stress
• Negative Sentiment: Reports about lettuce-related illness and consumer safety concerns could weigh on restaurant traffic and brand sentiment, although the earnings reports will provide the clearest indication of whether such issues affected McDonald’s demand. Did Lettuce Illness Hurt Restaurants? These Reports Will Tell If Diners Feel Safe
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its McDonald’s price target to $290, signaling reduced expectations even though the new target remains above recent trading levels. Mizuho Cuts McDonald’s Price Target to $290

McDonald’s Stock Performance

Shares of MCD stock opened at $266.02 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $274.55 and its 200-day moving average is $297.32. The stock has a market cap of $189.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.93, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. McDonald’s Corporation has a 52-week low of $260.96 and a 52-week high of $341.75.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The fast-food giant reported $2.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.09. McDonald’s had a net margin of 31.62% and a negative return on equity of 442.10%. The business had revenue of $6.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.67 EPS. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonald’s Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

McDonald’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. McDonald’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.34%.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.