McDonaldsMCDCOMMENTJan 24, 2018Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 04, 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.
In 2014 you were seeing negative same store sales. They brought in a new CEO, and have done a really good job of getting the menu shifted to consumer preferences. The company is really doing well. 6% same-store sales growth in the last quarter. The trade-off is that valuations have moved up with all the good news. Now it has gotten pricey and is too pricey for her.