McDonaldsMCDTOP PICKAug 20, 2012Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
Half its business is NA, half international. Not a huge amount of growth, perhaps 5-6%. EPS growth of 7-8%. Opens a few new stores a year. More of a landlord, with over 90% franchised. Very high ROIC.
Only 20x PE today, down from historically high 20s. In his world, it's a staple not discretionary :) Yield is 2.65%.
Was downgraded last Friday and today over fears they won't meet expectations this quarter, including disappointment over MCD's new chicken strips dish, that it won't turn things around. Rather, customer prefer heavily breaded chicken and the find these strips ugly. However, history says it has never paid to downgrade MCD. It's the king, offering good value and is highly well-run. The CEO will figure it out.
Trading at 15X versus 20X for Tim Hortons (THI-T). 3.3% yield. Disappointing same-store sales was primarily because of currency. Still selling hamburgers in Europe but were getting Euros for them which were worthless when they got them back to North America. Looking for it to reach mid-$90’s.