McDonaldsMCDBUYDec 11, 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.
Have done a great job with product innovation. Same-store sales were negative or very weak last quarter but recently announced numbers for November, which were encouraging. About 40% of earnings actually come from Europe. Competition in the US is always quite intense. Emerging markets is a target that they are aiming to grow in. Very attractive yield. If you are going to buy it, she would buy it now with its pull back. (See Top Picks.)