Our top three picks for 2023

Article Excerpt

Here are your three top U.S. stock picks for 2023—one from each of our Conservative, Aggressive and Income portfolios. All three stocks are market leaders, which should give them an advantage if the economy slows. Moreover, new investment in their businesses position them for many more years of growth beyond 2023. MCDONALD’S CORP. $273 is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2023. The company (New York symbol MCD; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector, Shares outstanding: 732.4 million; Market cap: $199.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 8.6; Dividend yield: 2.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mcdonalds.com) is the world’s largest fast-food chain with over 40,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of foods, but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries. In 2022, the company continued to prosper despite several challenges, including the sale of its outlets in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and COVID-19 lockdowns in China (which have since eased). In fact, the stock has gained roughly 9% since we named it our…