Key updates for dividend-focused investors

Article Excerpt

MCDONALD’S CORP. $243 is a buy. The fast-food giant (New York symbol MCD; Income-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 746.8 million; Market cap: $181.5 billion; Dividend yield: 2.1%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.mcdonalds.com) now has 39,396 restaurants in about 120 countries. It last raised your quarterly dividend by 3.2% in December 2020. The new annual rate of $5.16 a share yields 2.1%. The company may soon close outlets to in-store dining in parts of the U.S. due to the spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. However, the impact on sales would likely be small, as customers would probably shift to its drive-thru, carry out and home delivery services. The stock has gained 14% since the start of the year, and now trades at 26.8 times the $9.08 a share that McDonald’s will probably earn in 2021. That’s a reasonable multiple as the company’s earnings should continue to rise as the global economy rebounds. McDonald’s is a buy. GENUINE PARTS…