Anyone in McDonald's? I like the forward looking on this. Picked up a long position this morning. Maybe should've waited 'til the numbers come out tomorrow but, what the hay. I've never done a food/restaurant play before. Few weeks ago, was thinking about diabetes and fat people plays. Suppose this is my, "If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em" play instead. :D The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the fat get fatter. Mmmmm, frennnnch friiiies.

Yep...I have some shares here, and my daughter has (1) share too (her first investment)...

I entered at the end of May....longer termer for moi.

Good Luck.

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I think Ben has a migraine.

Rock'n'roll. Glad to join ya Grizz.

MCD's annual divy is now at a dollar too... I can't say as we eat there much, but I know that many do....

Good Luck Lux!

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I think Ben has a migraine.

More reason to like the long term prospects of MickyD's, an older article from January worth a read:
BEIJING (AP) - McDonald's Corp. opened its first drive-through in Beijing on Friday, launching a partnership with a major Chinese oil company to exploit the country's growing taste for both cars and Western fast food.
The Beijing drive-through is the first in McDonald's venture with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., which McDonald's China CEO Jeffrey Schwartz said would open 25 to 30 more in the next 12 to 18 months. Both gas stations and drive-throughs are booming as car purchases by newly affluent drivers speed China's change from a bicycle culture to a car culture.

McDonald's and its partner, also known as Sinopec, christened the new two-story Beijing restaurant, set beside a Sinopec filling station, with a ceremony that mixed traditional lion dancers and a Chinese- speaking Ronald McDonald.

Minutes later, Beijing resident Dong Tianwu and his daughter pulled up at the drive-through window in a Chinese-made Xiali compact and bought three meals and drinks.

"It's certainly convenient," Dong said. At a walk-in McDonald's, he said, "if you take a child, sometimes you have to line up for hours and that's a lot of trouble."

China's booming market is a key growth area for the hamburger chain, Schwartz said.

"It's huge. It's a real priority for the global company because of the potential growth in China," he said. "We think drive-throughs are a big part of this."

China's double-digit economic growth has created a burgeoning market for cars, fast food and other consumer goods. The country overtook Japan last year to become the world's second-biggest vehicle market after the U.S., with 7.2 million cars sold, a 37 percent growth.

McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Ill., opened its first restaurant in China in 1990 and has grown to 780 outlets in 120 cities with 50,000 employees. It faces strong competition from Yum Brands Inc., the industry leader in China with more than 2,000 KFC restaurants and 300 Pizza Huts.

"China is certainly a significant market for McDonald's, and they're focused on seizing that," said John Owens, who follows the restaurant industry for financial firm Morningstar Inc.

McDonald's plans to open about 100 new restaurants in China over the coming year, with more than half equipped with drive-through windows, Schwartz said.

Drive-throughs, which are highly profitable, have been a key part of McDonald's resurgence in the United States in recent years. The company has extended operating hours at many U.S. outlets, operating exclusively via drive-throughs through the night at many restaurants as a comparatively inexpensive way to boost sales.

McDonald's already has 15 other drive-throughs in China, in Shanghai and the southern cities of Guangdong and Shenzhen. The 20-year deal with Sinopec gives it the pick of any sites where the Chinese partner decides to open a restaurant beside one of its filling stations.

Sinopec, the country's No. 2 oil company, has more than 30,000 outlets throughout China and is adding 500 to 600 a year.

"It's a very interesting opportunity for McDonald's," said Owens. "They can cherry-pick the best sites."

Schwartz declined to give figures for McDonald's sales growth in China but said it is "very strong."

The company said this week its sales for Asia, Africa and the Middle East rose 5.5 percent last year. That was above the 5.2 percent growth rate reported for the United States.

McDonald's speeded up its plan to open drive-throughs in China after seeing strong demand at the first, which opened in December 2005 in the southern city of Dongguan near Hong Kong.

"We thought we were two to three years early, and once we opened it, we thought we might be two to three years late, because of how successful it was," Schwartz said.

Earnings miss from Mcd's, dont see that happen very often (I think twice before)...but I think Chiptoles was a significant reason for their strong move last year - they have since sold off their stake in it...

China could certainly be a good way for more growth....but the real reason for some of my money here is for the fixed income and just basic stability....

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I think Ben has a migraine.

Was it really a miss? Wasn't it inline with expectations? They had warned of 2nd qtr and the sale of the latin american restaurants having impact. I don't fully understand the sale and one-time charge (I am just an aircraft mechanic after-all) but, from the things I've read it sounds good. Like some freedom from some financial burden.

My apologies Grizz. I should've warned in original post that every stock I buy immediately goes down. :o Could've been good notice to have funds ready for the pullback. I'm thinking about doing some covered calls on this.

Lol... The market had had a tough week...

And I used the wrong word above, meant "loss" not "miss" .....

Anyway, I have been mostly sitting with cash in an ibank. MCD for me is mainly just a long term fixed income play. I have a few other current long positions...all tech... Goog, mvis, and tdcp....and EMC leaps - I am not very diversified with any equties I have right now, but....

I do not think you are going to have a heckuva lot of volatility with MCD, except maybe in the near term...

Good luck lux...hope stuff turns around for you.

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I think Ben has a migraine.

It wouldn't have helped anyway this week. I know first hand.

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