McDonaldsMCDCOMMENTMay 23, 2018Stock 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.
It's a both a quick-service restaurant and a REIT. REITs are under pressure, because they're interest-rate sensitive. Restaurants are performing pretty well, including McDonald's. Building digital kiosks in their stores is a good move. But other restaurants, such as Domino's Pizza, have a better growth rate. McDonald's will grow its dividend over time and probably operform in the middle of the pack for a while.