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Strategies & Market Trends : Can you beat 50% per month? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (7249)	10/13/2004 8:03:43 PM
From: Smiling Bob	Respond to of 19256

MCD 28.86 --- To: scottonstocks who wrote (7030) 4/21/2004 3:19:18 PM From: scottonstocks Read Replies (1) of 7328 MCD - gets a buy @ 26.94 ask for short term port, but mostly long term. To be applauded for finally recognizing the need for a changeover to healthier fast food. Largest restaurant operator will benefit. Subway gets honorable mention as well. --- McDonald’s serves up 42% rise in earnings By Neil Buckley in New York Published: October 13 2004 13:41 \| Last updated: October 13 2004 21:39 McDonald’s demonstrated the continuing strength of its US recovery on Wednesday, saying quarterly earnings would beat analysts' forecasts on the back of surprisingly buoyant US sales. The world's largest fast-food chain showed it was still reaping the benefits of new and healthier menu items including salads, chicken strips and “deli” sandwiches, as well as efforts to improve service and quality standards. But sales in Europe were disappointing, raising questions about whether the US revitalisation can be repeated elsewhere. The company was not due to report third-quarter earnings until next week, but announced on Wednesday that net income would be up 42 per cent at 61 cents a share. Even subtracting a tax-related gain of 7 cents, underlying earnings of 54 cents beats Wall Street consensus forecasts by 5 cents. Quarterly comparable sales - which McDonald's defines as those from restaurants open at least 13 months - increased 8.5 per cent in the US, on the back of a 9.5 per cent increase in the same period in 2003. Comparable US sales for September were up 10.6 per cent - the 18th consecutive month of year-on-year gains - on top of a 10 per cent gain in September 2003. Sales growth had been expected to slow after McDonald's last May passed the first anniversary of its sales turning positive. The recovery has also continued in spite of the untimely death in April of Jim Cantalupo, former chief executive and co-architect of the turnround. His successor, Charlie Bell, who worked closely with Mr Cantalupo on revamping the company as chief operating officer, has also undergone surgery for colon cancer in recent months. Mark Kalinowski, restaurant analyst at Smith Barney, said the robust performance was due to improved products, including the national launch of Chicken Selects chicken strips, effective marketing and business momentum. The one weak spot, Mr Kalinowski added, was Europe. Comparable sales there grew only 0.3 per cent in the quarter, after a 0.1 per cent decline a year earlier. McDonald's blamed high unemployment and stagnant economic growth in several countries, especially Germany. But the flat sales are a disappointment, coming several months after the company introduced main-course salads similar to those that helped drive the US recovery. McDonald's has faced particular problems in the UK, where regulatory filings recently showed profits in 2003 from its 770 company-owned restaurants fell 71 per cent to £24m ($43m), though that included restructuring charges. The company voiced concerns at an investor conference in New York last month that it was having less success in countering its “unhealthy” image in the UK than it had in the US. biz.yahoo.com