McDonaldsMCDCOMMENTDec 12, 2016Stock 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.
Starbucks (SBUX-Q) or McDonald’s (MCD-N)? He likes both. Has held this in the past, but sold it about a year ago, primarily because he felt he had capitalized on the 1st leg of the recovery. The share price has retracted since then, and he is taking a very close look at it and possibly stepping in again. This has a better yield and a better price to earnings ratio.