This top pick is just getting started

Article Excerpt

We named fast-food giant McDonald’s as your top Conservative buy for 2022 and then selected it, again, for 2023. After a slow start, the stock is now up 14% since that 2022 stock of the year recommendation. That’s a lot better than the S&P 500 Index, which is down 1% over that same period. The company’s long-term outlook remains bright. The end of COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly in China, should continue to increase customer traffic and sales. McDonald’s new plan to boost efficiency will also help it offset rising costs for ingredients and labour. MCDONALD’S CORP. $292 is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2023. The company (New York symbol MCD; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector, Shares outstanding: 730.1 million; Market cap: $213.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 9.1; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mcdonalds.com) is the world’s largest fast-food chain with 40,535 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of food, but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries. Franchisees now operate 95%…