McDonaldsMCDDON'T BUYFeb 17, 2015Stock 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.
Long on McDonald’s (MCD-N) and Short on Restaurant Brands (QSR-T). Good strategy? He could see intuitively how it could do well, but he would advise against it. This company has a lot of headwinds. It is not seen as a health conscious menu and a place where people go to eat healthy. Restaurant Brands have Tim Hortons which has a lot of growth potential and a lot of potential for cost-cutting.