McDonaldsMCDHOLDDec 08, 2017Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 02, 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.
He likes the company and it is a very resilient business. Management is world-class and are always innovating and finding ways to reinvent themselves. His concern is the valuation. Trading at 15X on an EV to EBITDA basis, which doesn’t give a lot of room for error. He would like to see a pullback before getting in. 2.3% dividend yield.