Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, April 29, 2022

Article Excerpt

MCDONALD’S CORP., $249.16, New York symbol MCD, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2022. The company is the world’s largest fast-food chain with over 39,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of food but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries. Franchisees own roughly 93% of those outlets. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s temporarily closed its 847 outlets in Russia (84% of which are owned by the company) and 108 restaurants in Ukraine (100% company owned). In 2021, those stores accounted for about 9% of the company’s total revenue, and less than 3% of its gross earnings. McDonald’s will continue to pay all its 62,000 Russian employees. It will also keep paying leases for its locations as well as other expenses. In the quarter ended March 31, 2022, those costs amounted to $127 million. The company also set aside $500 million to settle an international tax matter. If you exclude those items, earnings in the latest quarter rose…