MCD - McDonald's Corporation
| Previous Close | 204.51 |
| Open | 204.62 |
| Bid | 204.55 x 800 |
| Ask | 0.00 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 202.61 - 205.00 |
| 52 Week Range | 153.13 - 206.39 |
| Volume | 1,986,260 |
| Avg. Volume | 2,792,748 |
| Market Cap | 156.185B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.33 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 27.11 |
| EPS (TTM) | 7.55 |
| Earnings Date | Jul 24, 2019 - Jul 29, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 4.64 (2.28%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-05-31 |
| 1y Target Est | 215.00 |
- Yahoo Finance Video•8 days ago
UBS: McDonald's will maintain dominance in the fast-food industry
A new UBS report says McDonald's is still dominant in the fast-food space. This as Evercore initiates coverage of McDonald's, Chipotle and Yum Brands all with "outperform" ratings. Yahoo Finance's Seana Smith and Heidi Chung discuss.
- Yahoo Finance•10 hours ago
Taco Bell is testing plant-based proteins
The hype around plant-based proteins is hot, and Taco Bell is looking to jump on the bandwagon.
- Zacks•16 hours ago
Shake Shack Rides on Global Forays: Rivals' Food for Thought?
The penchant for international expansion appears to be the primary driving force that has helped Shake Shack (SHAK) to punch above its weight.
- Zacks•16 hours ago
Restaurants Hungry for Technology Amid Risks: 4 Key Picks
Demand for restaurant services depends on consumer spending. In an industry which is getting increasingly reliant on digital and delivery services, four restaurant stocks stand to gain in 2019.
- Motley Fool•17 hours ago
Why Shake Shack Should Keep Chick'n Bites
Fried chicken is winning big with Americans. Time to cash in.
- Zacks•2 days ago
McDonald's (MCD) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know
McDonald's (MCD) closed at $204.51 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.34% move from the prior day.
- Investopedia•2 days ago
Fast Food Stocks Flying High in 2019
Shares of YUM! Brands and Wingstop are matching McDonald's torrid 2019 performance, lifting to all-time highs.
- Zacks•3 days ago
Can the Grubhub-Dunkin' Partnership Help GRUB Stock Bounce Back?
Grubhub (GRUB) stock jumped over 3% in the opening hours of trading Monday following an announcement that it will partner with Dunkin' Brands (DNKN).
- Moody's•3 days ago
McDonald's Corporation -- Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of McDonald's Corporation
Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of McDonald's Corporation and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future.
- Zacks•3 days ago
Should You Invest in the Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS)?
Sector ETF report for FDIS
- Investor's Business Daily•3 days ago
3 Surprising Ways To Profit From Lower Interest Rates
Opportunity lies with low and falling interest rates, says Mark DiOrio of Brookstone Capital Management. You just need to position yourself right.
- Yahoo Finance•3 days ago
Dunkin' taps Grubhub for massive new delivery rollout
Dunkin' enters the fast-food delivery craze.
- Investopedia•4 days ago
Fast-Casual Vs. Fast-Food: What's the Difference?
Fast-casual is a subset of the restaurant industry that sits somewhere between fast-food and fine dining, and the concept has caught on with the American public.
- TipRanks•4 days ago
5 Top Stocks to Protect Your Portfolio
The voices are growing louder that the US economy is starting to sputter. From Morgan Stanley, stock strategist Michael Wilson said last month, “Recent data points suggest US earnings and economic risk is greater than most investors may think,” and the May jobs report, released on June 7, backed him up. The numbers were grim, with only 75,000 new jobs reported for the month, and the previous two months revised down by an equal amount. Other data has shown a slowdown in the services sector, and a nine-year low in manufacturing activity.The data is starting to point towards trouble, but the real problem with protecting your portfolio in a downturn lies in the lagging definition of a recession: two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Given that growth data is typically reported one month after the fact, this means that investors will always be 4 to 7 months late in taking protective measures. So, let’s be proactive about this, and take a look at TipRanks’ database to find some reliable stocks for defensive investing. These are not necessarily “classic” defensive stocks; rather, these companies have shown by recent performance that they can deliver profits even in a downturn. Apple, Inc. (AAPL)First on our list today is Apple, partly because these days it seems you just can’t build a portfolio without a tech giant but mostly because Apple has proven both its long-term reliability and its short-term resiliency. For the long term, Apple is up 130% in the last five years, while in the short haul the company recovered well from the Q4 2018 downturn and has already made up more than half the losses from last month’s market swoon.More importantly, Apple has also shown that it can adapt and change. Steve Jobs’ unique vision underlay his company’s growth in the early 2000s, and his death in 2011 prompted fears that his successor, Tim Cook, would not fill his shoes and the company would stagnate. It is fair to say that events of the past three quarters have laid that fear to rest. While Cook is not Jobs, he hasn’t needed to be – he took over a mature company with established niches and a growing customer base. He has shown himself fully capable of meeting the challenges the market has posed.Cook met last year’s market dip head-on. He admitted that Apple’s core iPhone sales were not going to fully recover, and orchestrated a plan to meet the changing conditions by shifting the sales focus to Services, reconciling iPhone to a longer replacement cycle, and promoting the iPad, iMac, and Macbook lines. Under all of this, helping to ensure success, is the near-billion strong loyal customer base that the company has built over the past decade.So, Apple has the solid foundation that every defensive stock needs. Looking forward, the company made a favorable impression on market analysts earlier this month at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Kathryn Huberty (Track Record & Ratings) of Morgan Stanley said after Apple’s presentation, “After (Monday’s) announcements, we believe Apple Watch and Mac will more meaningfully contribute to App Store growth, while further solidifying Apple as the most attractive platform for app developers.” Noting the company’s commitment to increasing its Services sector, she added, “Apple's top growth opportunity is driving increased user engagement with apps.” Huberty gives Apple a buy rating with a $231 price target, seeing an upside of 19%.Piper Jaffray’s Michael Olson (Track Record & Ratings) also gives Apple high ratings. Peering into the future of iPhone, he notes that 20% of current owners are interested in upgrading to 5G, and says, “Interest in 5G will only grow from here, so this is a favorable early sign that 5G is viewed as a key feature… we believe that as long as services revenue continues to perform well, it will tide many investors over until anticipation for 5G iPhones intensifies.” His price target on AAPL, $230, also suggests an 19% upside.The analyst consensus on AAPL shares is a ‘Moderate Buy,’ based on 19 buy ratings, 16 holds, 2 sells given over the last three months. Shares are trading at $192, so the $212 average price target indicates an upside of 10%.View AAPL Price Target & Analyst Ratings Detail Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)This one is a traditional defensive stock, and it has a reputation for being a bit staid, but don’t let that fool you: Johnson & Johnson offers real value, consistently delivering on both dividend and long-term equity growth. Both are markers of a strong defensive play.The company’s current dividend yield is 2.72%, which may seem small, but at current share prices it equates to an annual payout of $3.80. Better than the actual dividend payment, however, is JNJ’s dividend history. The company has been paying, and steadily increasing, its dividend since the early 1970s. This policy of consistently rewarding shareholders provides a steady source of income for investors, and also encourages them to reinvest that income in the company. It’s a win-win policy.As a long-term investment, JNJ has, like Apple, proven its worth. The stock has gained 56% in the last 5 years, and shows a 9% gain over the past 12 months. And also like Apple, JNJ has proven resilient in the face of adversity: last December, the stock took a hard hit from bad press related to the widely reported talcum powder recall, but has since regained most of that loss. In another example of corporate resiliency, JNJ was recently given a buy rating with a $157 price target by five-star analyst Joanne Wuensch (Track Record & Ratings) of BMO Capital, after she reviewed the status of current legal action the company faced in the state of Oklahoma in regard to the opioid abuse epidemic. Wuensch notes that the case will likely be resolved quickly, and points out, “Litigation is a common occurrence in the health care sector that takes significant time to resolve, and often headlines are worse than reality.” Her price target indicates confidence in the stock, and a 12% upside.Johnson & Johnson’s success rests on two separate bases. The first, and most widely recognized, is the company’s array of popular consumer brands. JNJ is the producer of Band-Aids, Listerine, and Tylenol, to name just a few. Consumer products provide a respectable 16.7% of annual revenue (nearly $14 billion), but the real money for JNJ lies in pharmaceuticals. To put it in perspective, two drugs – Remicade and Simponi – account for 11.3% of the company’s total revenues, two-thirds as much as all of the consumer products.Unlike many large-scale drug producers, Johnson & Johnson is not deeply exposed to payment issues with the Medicare and Medicaid systems. This is important for investors, as both programs have reputations for underpaying, and with an election year coming up both programs are likely to become political footballs as candidates promise ever more benefits. This is a key point noted by Terence Flynn (Track Record & Ratings). Writing for Goldman Sachs, Flynn says, “The company has the lowest exposure to Medicare/Medicaid within the group. As a result, the stock will be less impacted by potential drug pricing headlines/policy proposals ahead of the 2020 presidential election.” Flynn sets a price target of $163 for JNJ, suggesting an upside of 16%.JNJ’s consensus rating of ‘Moderate Buy’ is derived from 7 buy and 5 hold reviews. The stock’s $149 average price target and $140 share price equate to an upside potential of 7%.View JNJ Price Target & Analyst Ratings Detail McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)Fast food burgers might not come immediately to mind when you hear the phrase ‘Return on Investment,’ but McDonald’s has been delivering more than just quick eats. The company has gained an impressive 16% so far this year, rising from $176 on January 2 to a closing price of $205 on June 14. Even more impressive, between May 3 and June 3, while the S&P 500 was slipping 6.8%, MCD shares were gaining 1.2%.It’s all part of a steady-growth story going back to May of 2015, when current CEO Steve Easterbrook took over. McD’s had just posted its first sales decline in more than a decade, and the new chief’s mandate was simple: refresh a stale brand. His ‘Turnaround Plan’ got the company back to basics, emphasizing fresher, higher quality ingredients; a streamlined menu; and physical rebuilding efforts in the company’s aging franchise locations. Through it all, McDonald’s has maintained its high dividend; the payout is now $4.64 annually, for a yield of 2.26%.The market’s analysts agree that MCD is on a stable upward path. Writing at BTIG, Peter Saleh (Track Record & Ratings) says, “The company's menu strategy shift has boosted comps. Expect the increased menu focus on bundles and full price items – and away from deep discounts - to drive higher U.S. average check for the next couple of quarters.” Saleh boosted his price target to $220 on MCD, suggesting an upside of 7%.Saleh’s not alone. Weighing in from Merrill Lynch last week, Gregory Francfort (Track Record & Ratings) sees “2Q-4Q same-store sales (including 3.9%-4.2% for the U.S.) looking conservative with more upside potential than downside risk.” Like Saleh, he gives MCD a $220 price target.Overall, MCD has a ‘Moderate Buy’ consensus based on 19 analyst ratings given in the last three months, including 14 buys and 5 holds. The stock sells for $205 as of June 14, and the average price target of $216 indicates an upside potential of 5.5%.View MCD Price Target & Analyst Ratings Detail Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW)If the US economy does turn down to recession, Lowe’s is in an excellent position to take advantage of the changed conditions. The do-it-yourself home improvement supplier operates on the big-box model, using bulk to offer discounts on the products and services that, in bad times, homeowners are more likely to handle as DIY.This puts Lowe’s strength as a defensive play is in its niche – the stores offer products that most people need, at discounts that grow more attractive in a downturn. Home maintenance won’t stop for a recession, and DIY really is a good way to save money. In addition, Lowe’s has maintained its lucrative contractor business.And now we get to the weakness in this stock. Lowe’s is the second largest home improvement superstore, after Home Depot (HD), and the company is having trouble boosting revenues and earnings against its larger competition. LOW shares have been on a roller coaster ride for the last 18 months, although they are up nearly 8% year-to-date. On an operational level, Lowe’s has had difficulty executing online sales strategy and home delivery, and managing inventory control. Both are putting serious drag on the bottom line, and holding down revenue growth.Pushing back is CEO Marvin Ellison, who took over in July of last year. He has marked both online sales and inventory control as key parts of a turnaround effort to improve the company’s sales and revenue growth. Early assessments of Ellison’s success are guardedly optimistic; LOW did beat sales and revenue expectations in its most recent quarterly report, although EPS missed by 8%. As Keith Hughes (Track Record & Ratings), of SunTrust Robinson points out, “The recovery will not be a "quick story", even though we are positive on the re-set of expectations and maintain that the 10% projected earnings growth this year still tops Home Depot's (HD) expected flat growth.” Hughes sets a $120 price target on LOW, suggesting an upside of 20%.UBS analyst Michael Lasser (Track Record & Ratings) also sets a buy rating on LOW, with an upbeat $115 target and 15% upside. He writes, “The risk-reward ration on the stock is attractive.”On consensus, Lowe’s keeps a ‘Strong Buy’ rating, based on the 14 buys and 4 holds given in the past three months. While the company faces headwinds, it holds a strong position in a valuable niche, and is widely perceived as facing its difficulties effectively. Of the stocks in this article, LOW offers the best upside potential, at 16%, based on the $99 share price and $115 average price target.View LOW Price Target & Analyst Ratings Detail Walmart, Inc. (WMT)Like Lowe’s, Walmart gains its defensive-stock status from its business model. The king of brick-and-mortar retailers offers discount customers the ultimate in one-stop shopping, putting everything that consumers could want or need under one roof, from baby diapers to daily groceries to minor car repairs. Really, there’s nothing you can’t get at Walmart and that fact has made it the world’s largest company by revenue and the world’s largest private employer.Walmart’s biggest competition comes from Amazon.com (AMZN), but it is more of a whale and elephant story than a cage match. Each company is dominant in its own domain, and each has faced challenges trying to expand on the other’s territory. Walmart may have found a way to leverage its existing stores for an online advantage – rather than offer home delivery (an area in which Amazon already excels), Walmart offers online purchasers an option to pick up their merchandise at the nearest Walmart location. This is a viable alternative, since according to some estimates everyone in the US lives within 10 miles of a Walmart store.As a defensive play, Walmart’s greatest advantage is the pedestrian nature of its business. Everyone needs the products they offer, and in hard times, Walmart’s famously low prices will simply look more attractive. Writing after WMT reported FY20 Q1 earnings, Raymond James’ Budd Bugatch (Track Record & Ratings) said, “Investors should be most encouraged by the U.S. segment, which showed a 5.5 percent year-over-year increase in operating income to $4.1 billion. The business saw strength from a favorable sales mix while e-commerce margins came in better than management's own expectations.” While he believes the company is on firm footing, his price target, at $110, suggests only a modest 1% upside.Guggenheim’s Robert Drbul (Track Record & Ratings) sums up Walmart’s case quite well in his recent research note: “We believe the business remains quite healthy, with solid physical/digital results in recent quarters… We continue to believe WMT’s resources uniquely position it to successfully evolve in an ever-changing retail environment. While trade concerns/tariffs may create quarter-to-quarter fluctuations, we believe the management team will astutely navigate any changes.” Drbul maintained a $115, which indicates a 5.5% upside from current levels.On average, WMT shares have a price target of $113, which gives an upside of 4.5% from the share price of $109. The analyst consensus of ‘Moderate Buy’ is based on 8 buys, 2 holds, and 1 sell set in the last three months.View WMT Price Target & Analyst Ratings DetailYou can learn more about these stocks using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool. This is a powerful new tool that shows all the data on multiple stocks. See for yourself how the Comparison Tool works, by using it to look at the stocks in this article.Disclosure: This author holds a long position in Apple, Inc.
- Barrons.com•5 days ago
AMD’s Lisa Su and Other Change Agents on Our List of the World’s Best CEOs
AMD CEO Lisa Su led a stunning turnaround at the semiconductor company, which is now giving Intel a run for its money in all areas of the chip business.
- American City Business Journals•6 days ago
McDonald's hears from food activists who want plant-based burgers
McDonald's on Thursday accepted a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures urging the company to put vegan burgers on the menu.
- Yahoo Finance•6 days ago
Companies to watch: McDonald’s gets upgraded, JetBlue in buyback deal, Apple CEO meets Trump
McDonald’s, JetBlue, Apple, Fiat Chrysler and WeWork are the companies to watch.
- Investopedia•6 days ago
Chipotle Stock Is Testing 2015's All-Time High
Chipotle stock is testing the all-time high posted just before a nationwide foodborne illness scandal triggered a historic decline.
- Motley Fool•6 days ago
3 Stocks Warren Buffett Would Love
If you're interested in making money in the market, you could do far worse than to seek out the types of companies that the world's greatest living investor likes to buy.
- InvestorPlace•7 days ago
6 Mouth-Watering Fast Food Stocks for Growth Investors
The fundamentals supporting fast food stocks are healthy today, and project to remain healthy for the foreseeable future. That's why I'm bullish on a select list of fast food stocks here and now.Favorable fundamentals will drive out-sized profit growth for these companies, and that growth will push their stocks higher over the next several months and years.Here's the fundamental backdrop. You have a healthy U.S. economy with low unemployment, big wage gains, low borrowing rates, and high consumer confidence. Putting all that together, the U.S. consumer today is about as healthy and as prone to spend as ever.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsMeanwhile, consumers are increasingly fixated with elevated convenience and fast service, so they are increasingly drawn to fast food chains. These fast food chains are simultaneously re-inventing their menus to be more relevant, including incorporating healthier and trendier items like plant-based burgers. They are also improving the ordering process to be more convenient, and those improvements center around pairing up with online food ordering and delivery services.All in all, the fundamentals supporting fast food stocks are quite favorable. Stronger consumers coupled with smarter menu innovation and a strong delivery buildout equals strong growth for fast food chains. * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy With Limited Trade War Exposure With that in mind, let's take a look at 6 fast food stocks to buy for healthy gains over the next several quarters. Fast Food Stocks to Buy: McDonald's (MCD)Source: Shutterstock At the top of this list, we have McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), the king of the fast food industry that has been king for a long time, and projects to remain king for a lot longer thanks to its continued market-leading innovation.On the menu front, McDonald's has refreshed its menu from head to toe over the past several years. The company pioneered the All-Day Breakfast trend. They then introduced more chicken items onto the menu and more premium meat offerings.They've run promotions such as 2-for-$5, which have been huge successes. They've also incorporated bacon into their classic offerings. The company has also dabbled in the plant-based meat craze, offering the plant-based Big Vegan TS in 1,500 restaurants in Germany in April.Meanwhile, on the convenience front, McDonald's has rapidly scaled its presence in the delivery world. By most metrics, McDonald's now has one of the biggest delivery presences of any fast food chain. Also, McDonald's has integrated technology into its ordering processes. Many in-store ordering kiosks are now touch-screen, self-order kiosks.All in all, McDonald's has continued to improve its menu and service over the past the several months and years. These improvements put the company in a favorable position to grow for the foreseeable future as the U.S. consumer economy picks up steam. Yum (YUM)Source: Mike Mozart via FlickrNext, we have Yum (NYSE:YUM), the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.With respect to menu innovation, Yum has done very well. Taco Bell is perhaps the market leader in menu innovation, seemingly rolling out a new, millennial-focused food item every few weeks.Taco Bell has also created ad campaigns to accompany those menu adds (see this Nacho Fries ad), and those campaigns only add to their appeal. KFC and Pizza Hut have been relatively light on the menu innovation front but have still kept their menus up-to-date with current consumption trends. KFC is also thinking about incorporating plant-based options on its menu, too.On the convenience front, Yum has also rapidly expanded its delivery capability through a big partnership with GrubHub (NYSE:GRUB). Those delivery efforts for Taco Bell and KFC are still in their early days, with positive early reception and momentum. As such, the delivery expansion tailwind should remain vigorous for the foreseeable future. * 7 High-Quality Cheap Stocks to Buy With $10 In sum, Yum's unique marketing and menu innovation, coupled with delivery build-out at Taco Bell and KFC, should help drive healthy sales and profit growth over the next several quarters. Jack in the Box (JACK)Source: Rojer via Flickr (modified)The third fast food stock which looks ready to rally is Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK).On the menu front, Jack in the Box has taken a unique and strategic approach to wallet share expansion and promotions. With respect to winning wallet share, Jack in the Box didn't just invent new menu items - they invented an entire new mealtime, which they dub "late-night". This late-night menu caters to those who get hungry well past dinner hours, and in creating this menu, Jack in the Box has won consumer wallet-share. Meanwhile, Jack in the Box is finally figuring out how to create discounted combos which offer great value to the consumer without cutting into margins.Meanwhile, like many of the other chains on this list, Jack in the Box has rapidly scaled out its delivery capabilities over the past few years. At the end of last quarter, roughly 90% of all Jack in the Box locations were serviced by at least one delivery service. Thus, as the delivery market gains traction over the next several years, Jack in the Box will be fully levered to that growth, and consequently grow with the market.Overall, Jack in the Box's unique approach to menu additions and promotions, on top of its already huge delivery network, gives the stock a healthy growth outlook over the next several quarters. Shake Shack (SHAK)Source: Abdullah AlBargan via Flickr (Modified)Next up, we have rapidly expanding premium fast casual chain Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK).Shake Shack seems to really understand the importance of menu innovation. The company actually has a dedicated kitchen - dubbed the Innovation Kitchen - for testing and developing new products and LTOs (limited time only offerings). This Innovation Kitchen has cooked up some big new menu adds over the past few months, including Chick'n Bites and new unique shake flavors like tiramisu. So long as Shake Shack keeps pouring resources into the Innovation Kitchen - and so long as that Innovation Kitchen keeps pumping out exciting, new menu adds - Shake Shack's comparable sales performance should remain healthy.With respect to elevated convenience, the delivery business is rapidly scaling, and the company is doing everything it can to optimize that delivery business. Shake Shack is refreshing many of its stores to allow for a more streamlined and efficient pick-up process. All the new units are also being built with this in mind, too. * 7 Dividend Stocks That Are Worth Your Money Broadly, Shake Shack continues to put menu innovation and digital convenience at the forefront of its growth narrative, and in so doing, exposes itself to big growth potential over the next several years. Domino's Pizza (DPZ)Source: Shutterstock One of the more interesting fast food stocks on this list is Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ).On the menu front, Domino's - like many of its peers on this list - is one of the more innovative chains in the fast food world. Domino's started off as a pizza parlor. They are so much more than that now. The menu today includes pasta, chicken, sandwiches, and more. Further, Domino's has been very innovative with its marketing, including doing things like fixing pot holes so consumers don't drop their pizzas. In sum, these menu adds and marketing have kept Domino's atop the pizza game by a wide margin.The convenience story is a bit different. Unlike the other chains on this list, Domino's didn't just build out its delivery business. Domino's has been a delivery business for a long time. As such, the macro-delivery tailwind isn't really a tailwind at all for Domino's. Instead, it translates into more competition in the delivery space.Nonetheless, DPZ's sustained dominance atop the pizza market has enabled it to offset increased delivery competition, and the company has reported healthy comps for the past several years. So long as this remains true, DPZ stock should march higher. Restaurant Brands International (QSR)Source: Shutterstock Last, but not least, on this list of fast food stocks to buy is Restaurant Brands International (NASDAQ:QSR), the parent company of Tim Hortons, Popeye's, and Burger King.Menu innovation has been core to each three of QSR's big chains. Tim Hortons introduced multiple new items to its menu in 2018, including several new hot and cold beverages. Tim Hortons also rolled out Breakfast Anytime. Over at Popeye's, management has relied on LTOs and promotions to drive continued positive comps, such as the $5 tackle box and $5 shrimp offer. Meanwhile, Burger King is on the cutting edge of plant-based meat, and has already launched Impossible Whoppers, which have created a huge traffic surge at participating locations.With respect to convenience, QSR has invested in all the right things to maximize consumer convenience. The company has built out its delivery network to span about half of all its U.S. restaurants. The company has also invested big into self-order kiosks, mobile app ordering, and digital menu boards. * 7 Stocks to Buy for the Coming Recession Net net, QSR has done everything right over the past several quarters on the menu innovation and consumer convenience fronts, and those right moves lay the groundwork for QSR stock to rally over the next several quarters.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long MCD, GRUB and DPZ. More From InvestorPlace * 4 Top American Penny Pot Stocks (Buy Before June 21) * 7 High-Quality Cheap Stocks to Buy With $10 * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy With Limited Trade War Exposure * 6 Growth Stocks That Could Be the Next Big Thing Compare Brokers The post 6 Mouth-Watering Fast Food Stocks for Growth Investors appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks•7 days ago
Zacks Earnings Trends Highlights: Amazon and McDonald's
Zacks Earnings Trends Highlights: Amazon and McDonald's
- InvestorPlace•7 days ago
Dave & Buster’s Is Coming Back, so Buy the Dip in PLAY Stock
Shares of Dave & Buster's (NASDAQ:PLAY) dropped sharply in mid-June after the arcade and themed dining owner reported first-quarter numbers that fell well short of expectations. At the same time, management reduced its full-year revenue and profit guides. Investors were disappointed. PLAY stock dropped more than 20%.Source: Shutterstock This big sell-off, though, is overdone, and with PLAY stock hovering around $40, the medium- to long-term bull thesis looks very compelling here.To be sure, the first quarter numbers weren't good. Comparable sales growth was negative. Revenue growth dropped below 10% for the first time in a long while. Margins compressed meaningfully. Profits growth came in at a multi-quarter low.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 High-Quality Cheap Stocks to Buy With $10 But, if you zoom out, the long term trends here remain favorable. The shift towards an experience economy resonates well for Dave & Buster's comparable sales growth going forward.The unit growth trajectory remains favorable, and Dave & Buster's still projects to grow its unit base by 10% per year over the next several years. Margin compression is moderating and margins should ultimately stabilize.All in all, then, while the near term trends are negative, the long term trends are still positive. Against that backdrop, PLAY stock is trading at its cheapest valuation in recent memory. That combination ultimately paves the way for a huge rebound rally in PLAY stock over the next several months. The Near Term Is UglyThe situation at Dave & Buster's can broadly be summed up in one phrase: it's ugly right now, but it's pretty in the big picture.Right now, things are ugly for the themed dining restaurant and arcade. Comparable sales dropped 0.3% in the quarter, on top of a 4.9% drop last year, so comps are down more than 5% on a two-year basis. That's not good.Further, comps are expected to drop 0.5% this year, versus a 1.6% drop last year, so down more than 2% on a two year basis. That's not good, either. At the same time, margins are compressing, as the adjusted EBITDA margin has fallen by more than 100 basis points year-over-year for three straight quarters.The net result? Profit growth is being muted. A few years back, this was a consistent 20%-plus profit grower. Last quarter, D&B reported just 8.8% profit growth. The Long Term Is PrettyBut, if you zoom out, things are still pretty in the big picture.Most importantly, the experience economy continues to gain mainstream traction, and consumers are increasingly upping spend on experiences.This pivot towards experience-focused consumption benefits Dave & Buster's, since going to D&B is broadly seen by consumers as a fun experience that combines dining and gaming for a fun night out.That's why D&B comps were up 7.3% in 2014, 8.9% in 2015, and 3.3% in 2016. Comps did fall flat in 2017, and have retreated ever since, but that appears to just be normalization after a red hot streak in the middle of the decade.As the laps get easier, the comparable sales growth trend will improve, because the company is aligned with the secular shift towards an experience economy.Further, Dave & Buster's still only operates 127 stores. Management thinks the long term opportunity is 230 to 250 stores. Thus, this company can and will continue to grow its store base by 10% per year for the next several years.Meanwhile, margins are falling, but by less and less each quarter, so margin stabilization seems to be coming in the near future. Once comps improve, margins should improve, too.Overall, then, while negative comps and margin compression is the norm today, it won't be the norm forever. The long term norm here is positive comps and stable margins. D&B will get back to that soon, and when they do, PLAY will rally in a big way. Dave & Buster's Stock Has Big Upside PotentialFollowing the huge post-earnings slide, PLAY now trades at its cheapest valuation in recent memory with a mere 13-times forward earnings multiple.That's dirt cheap for the restaurant sector. The average forward earnings multiple in the restaurant sector is 25. McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) trades at 25-times forward earnings. Yum (NYSE:YUM) trades at 28-times forward earnings. Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) trades at 20-times forward earnings.More importantly, this valuation discrepancy has nothing to do with growth potential. The average long term earnings growth rate across the restaurant sector is just over 10%. Dave & Buster's will drive 10% unit growth alone over the next several years.Assuming comps come back into slightly positive territory and margins stabilize, that 10% unit growth will produce profit growth well in excess of 10%.Thus, Dave & Buster's has a bigger forward growth trajectory than the average restaurant company, and yet PLAY trades at a huge discount to the average restaurant stock.This disconnect makes no sense and won't last forever. But, while it does last, investors should take advantage of it. This stock has tremendous upside potential from here in the medium to long term. Bottom Line on PLAY StockDave & Buster's had a bad quarter. But, the long term growth trajectory here remains favorable. As such, with PLAY stock plunging and trading at its cheapest valuation in recent memory, now seems like a good time to take advantage of near term weakness.In the medium to long term, PLAY stock will head considerably higher from here.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long PLAY and MCD. More From InvestorPlace * 4 Top American Penny Pot Stocks (Buy Before June 21) * 7 High-Quality Cheap Stocks to Buy With $10 * 7 U.S. Stocks to Buy With Limited Trade War Exposure * 6 Growth Stocks That Could Be the Next Big Thing Compare Brokers The post Dave & Buster's Is Coming Back, so Buy the Dip in PLAY Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks•8 days ago
McDonald's (MCD) Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know
In the latest trading session, McDonald's (MCD) closed at $205.06, marking a +0.89% move from the previous day.
- Schaeffer's Investment Research•8 days ago
2 Top Restaurant Picks Flashing Bull Signals
Evercore ISI initiated coverage on both names with an "outperform" rating
