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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 (11786)	9/13/2007 4:32:04 PM
From: Smiling Bob	Respond to of 19256

Moody's may cut McDonald's on shareholder focus Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:14PM EDT NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Moody's Investors Service on Thursday said it may cut its ratings on McDonald's Corp. (MCD.N: Quote, Profile, Research), after the world's largest restaurant company raised its annual dividend by 50 percent as part of a plan to return up to $17 billion to shareholders through 2009. The company said on Wednesday its board of directors declared a 2007 cash dividend of $1.50 a share, up from $1 a share last year. It is payable on Dec. 3 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 15. For details, see [ID:nN12285195] "Although McDonald's stated that achieving its goal of returning $15 to $17 billion to shareholders will be subject to business and market conditions, Moody's believes higher debt levels will be likely in order to support shareholder based initiatives," Moody's said in a statement. "In the event McDonald's stated financial policies results in Moody's taking negative ratings action we would not anticipate more than a one notch decline from the current rating levels," Moody's said. Moody's rates McDonald's "A2," the sixth highest investment grade ranking. McDonald's 4.125 percent bond due 2013 traded at 89 basis points over Treasuries on Thursday, according to MarketAxess. © Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.