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About McDonald’s Corp
History of the company [1,2]
McDonald’s was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California, USA. Initially, it was a small drive-in featuring a large menu and carhop service.
In 1948, the brothers decided to revamp their restaurant by focusing on a more limited menu and a faster service. They introduced their “Speedee Service System,” which emphasised efficiency, cleanliness, and uniformity.
This system was based on the assembly line techniques used in the automobile industry, and it allowed the brothers to serve food quickly and at a low cost. The new menu included only nine items, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, and soft drinks. The staple was the hamburger, which was selling for 15 cents each.
The revamped restaurant was a huge success, and the McDonald brothers soon began to expand. In 1953, they franchised their concept to a man named Ray Kroc, who was a milkshake machine salesman. Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois, and quickly began to expand the chain across the United States.
In the 1960s, McDonald’s began to expand internationally. The company opened its first restaurant outside the United States in 1967 in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. McDonald’s continued to expand rapidly, opening thousands of restaurants in countries all over the world. By the 1990s, the company was operating in more than 100 countries.
Over the years, McDonald’s has faced criticism and controversy. Some critics have argued that the company’s food is unhealthy and contributes to obesity and other health problems [3]. Others have criticised the company’s labour practices, and the low wages paid to its employees [4].
In response to these challenges, McDonald’s has taken steps to improve its menu and image. The company has introduced healthier menu options, such as salads and grilled chicken sandwiches, and has made a commitment to source its food from sustainable and ethical sources. McDonald’s has also made efforts to improve its labour practices, such as by increasing wages and offering benefits to its employees.
Despite these challenges, McDonald’s remains one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the world. The company’s iconic Golden Arches and catchy advertising slogans, such as “I’m Lovin’ It,” are instantly recognizable to millions of people around the world.
Business segments [5]
McDonald’s is the largest fast-food chain in the world today. Its nearly 38,000 outlets serve close to 68 million customers in 118 countries per day.
Despite that, F&B isn’t McDonald’s main business segment. Instead, the company derives the bulk of its revenue from franchisees who have to lease a property owned by McDonald’s, often at high markup. This makes McDonald’s business model more akin to that of a property developer.
Nevertheless, McDonald’s franchises continue to enjoy high demand, due to the company’s well-honed business strategy and popular products. In its 2021 annual report, McDonald’s posted an operating margin of 40% – a rarity in a sector known for its razor-thin margins.
McDonald’s is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its staff strength – excluding franchisees – is estimated to be 100,000. [6]
About the stock MCD
MCD trading information
- Primary exchange: NYSE
- Ticker: MCD
- Country: U.S.
- Currency: USD
- Trading hours:
- Main: 9.30am to 4pm ET, Mon to Fri
- Pre-market: 4am to 9.30am
- After-market: 4pm to 8pm
When was MCD listed? [7]
McDonald’s was first publicly listed on 21 April 1965. At the time of writing, the share price of MCD is USD 296.60. The highest share price was seen on 2 May 2023, where it closed the day at USD 298.07.
Stock splits
Since 1965, MCD has undergone a total of 12 stock splits [8]. The total number of MCD shares outstanding is estimated to be 731.3 million [9].
| Date | Stock Split |
| Feb 1999 | 2 for 1 |
| Jun 1995 | 2 for 2 |
| Jun 1989 | 2 for 1 |
| Jun 1987 | 3 for 2 |
| Jun 1986 | 3 for 2 |
| Sep 1984 | 3 for 2 |
| Sep 1982 | 3 for 2 |
| May 1972 | 2 for 1 |
| May 1971 | 3 for 2 |
| May 1969 | 2 for 1 |
| May 1968 | 2 for 1 |
| Mar 1966 | 3 for 2 |
Dividends [10]
MCD is a dividend-paying stock, and dividends are paid out twice a year. In 2022, the company paid USD 1.38 per share in March and June, for a total dividend of USD 2.76 per share for the year.
Latest developments investors should note
First quarter results see digital sales gaining ground
In an earnings report demonstrative of McDonald’s key strength in innovation and keeping up with customer expectations, Q1 FY 2023 results saw sales via digital channels making up nearly 40% of all sales across the company’s top 6 markets [11].
Digital sales contributed USD 7.5 billion in revenue for the quarter, which also saw total revenue increase by 12.6% to USD 5.9 billion year on year [12]. This brought diluted earnings- per-share (EPS) to USD 2.45, an increase of 63%, on the back of net income of USD 1.8 billion, an increase of 63% [13].
Commenting on the positive first quarter results, Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s President
and CEO said, “We have refocused on operational excellence, and we’ve seen significant customer satisfaction improvement around the world. Amidst a challenging operating environment, customer demand for [the] McDonald’s Brand remains strong” [14].
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References
- “McDonald’s History – McDonald’s” https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s – Britannica” https://www.britannica.com/topic/McDonalds/Expansion-and-products Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s puts fat facts on food – BBC News” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4376758.stm Accessed 16 May 2023
- “What McDonald’s minimum wage raise says about fast-food franchise future – CNBC” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/10/mcdonalds-minimum-wage-raise-and-the-fast-food-franchise-future-.html Accessed 16 May 2023
- “How McDonald’s Makes Money – Investopedia” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/032015/how-mcdonalds-makes-its-money-mcd.asp Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s Corp – Google Finance” https://www.google.com/finance/quote/MCD:NYSE?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib37qLwOL-AhWGR2wGHc8NCEAQ3ecFegQIIBAh Accessed 16 May 2023
- “Stock information – McDonald’s” https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/investors/stock-information.html Accessed 16 May 2023
- “Stock information – McDonald’s” https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/investors/stock-information.html Accessed 16 May 2023
- “Number of shares outstanding for McDonald (MCD) – Companies Market Cap” https://companiesmarketcap.com/mcdonald/shares-outstanding/ Accessed 16 May 2023
- “MCD Dividend History – Nasdaq” https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/mcd/dividend-history Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDONALD’S REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2023 RESULTS – Yahoo! Life” https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mcdonalds-reports-first-quarter-2023-110000262.html Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s Releases Q1 2023 Results that Beat Earnings & Revenue Estimates – Coinspeaker” https://www.coinspeaker.com/mcdonalds-q1-2023-earnings/ Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s profit climbs 63% as consumers absorb higher prices – MarketWatch” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcdonalds-stock-heads-for-3rd-straight-record-after-earnings-sales-rise-above-expectations-8c80d7ba Accessed 16 May 2023
- “McDonald’s Reports First Quarter 2023 Results – McDonald’s” https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/Q1-2023-results.html Accessed 16 May 2023
