McDonaldsMCDSELLJul 30, 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.
They demonstrate everything that is negative about stock buybacks. You erode your book value and now they trade at 100 times book value. It is trading at only 20 times earnings, however. He calculates a fair market value 46% lower than where it is now. The balance sheet is mediocre, but not strong. He does not think you are buying anything of value with this one.