What Is the Stock Symbol for McDonald's?
Those golden arches that dot the urban landscape of America are so familiar that McDonald's hardly needs an introduction. However, if you are an investor seeking to learn more about McDonald's Corporation, you need to know the company's stock symbol and how to find detailed information on earnings and stock performance. This article describes McDonald's Corporation, history, and stock purchasing options available to investors. Use the link under Additional Resources to go to the company's investor information website for more information and current news.
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Identification
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McDonald's Corporation is a publicly held company whose stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol MCD. In 1985, McDonald's was added to the Dow Jones Index. Detailed information including current stock prices and company fact sheets are available on the McDonald's "For Shareholders" web pages (see Additional Resources, below).
History
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In 1940, two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald, opened a hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California. The restaurant featured a streamlined and standardized menu that lent itself to fast service and low prices and was extremely successful. In 1954, it came to the attention of a restaurant equipment distributor, Ray Kroc. He acquired rights to use the name and opened up the first McDonald's as we know it in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. By 1965, the company was national in scope and went public with shares selling at $22.50. By 2006, a single share of that offering had multiplied to over 700 shares with a value of over $30,000.
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Types
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McDonald's primarily operates the famous fast-food restaurants that now do business in 119 countries (as of 2008). The majority of the units are franchises, although about one fourth of the stores are company-owned. From time to time, McDonald's has acquired other restaurant chains, including Boston Market and Donator's Pizzeria, but sold off several of these after 2000. The company's success is based on its factory-like production system combined with aggressive family-oriented marketing. The company's Ronald McDonald character introduced in 1966 and "Happy Meals" (1979) are examples of advertising that has become iconic in American popular culture.
Size
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As of 2008, McDonald's had over 31,000 restaurants in 119 nations. Revenues in 2007 were $22.8 billion. The company had a 2008 market capitalization exceeding $60 billion. Company growth continues with recent entry into the growing consumer market in China. As of 2006, the average number of customers per day was 47 million.
Features
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For investors, there are two primary ways to acquire stock in McDonald's. Since this is an NYSE listed security, you can place an order with a broker or through your bank if you have a brokerage account with them. However, McDonald's is among the growing number of corporations that offer direct stock purchase plans. The McDirect Shares Plan prospectus is available in PDF format on the "For Shareholders" page (see Additional Resources, below). Like other direct stock purchase plans, it offers very low transaction fees and allows low-minimum investments.
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