It's good to see businesses emerge from the worst of the COVID-19
By Geoffrey Smith
KFC is jumping into the chicken sandwich wars with a new chicken sandwich test.
Wendy’s, McDonald’s and other quick-service restaurants are weathering the coronavirus pandemic better than many chains because they already conduct a large amount of sales for takeaway or drive thru, according to J.P. Morgan analyst John Ivankoe. They might have already appreciated too much for new investors now, however.
As the rest of the restaurant industry reels from the impact of COVID-19, pizza chains are coming out on top.
Popeyes chicken sales made a massive comeback and surged in May, according to a new SEC filing.
Investors continued to price in the possibility of more states relaxing restrictive stay-at-home orders while evaluating the ongoing damage to the world’s largest economy.
Q1 2020 Wendys Co Earnings Call
Credit Suisse (SIX:CSGN) analyst Lauren Silberman maintained a Hold rating on Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) on Thursday, setting a price target of $21, which is approximately 11.64% above the present share price of $18.81.
Wendy's Co. reported first-quarter net income of $14.4 million, or 6 cents per share, down from $31.9 million, or 14 cents per share, last year. Adjusted EPS of 9 cents missed the FactSet consensus for 10 cents. Revenue of $405.0 million was down from $408.6 million last year and below the $414.0 million FactSet outlook. U.S. same-store sales were flat while global same-store sales fell 0.2%. The FactSet consensus was for domestic same-store sales growth of 2.9% and overall same-store sales growth of 2.9%. Wendy's had a cash balance of $365 million as of May 3 after full drawing down its variable funding senior secured notes revolving financing facility, reducing its second-quarter dividend and taking other measures due to the coronavirus. Nearly all (96%) of Wendy's restaurants are operating, including 99% in the U.S., with drive-thru and delivery only. Wendy's has said that disruptions to the beef supply chain has put limits on the availability of certain menu items. Wendy's stock jumped nearly 6% in Wednesday premarket trading and is up 1.2% for the past year. The S&P 500 index is down 2.2% for the last 12 months.
Investors appear to be looking past near-term woes and to the reopening of the U.S. economy. Shares were up Wednesday morning.
The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) today reported unaudited results for the first quarter ended March 29, 2020 and provided an update on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business.
Yahoo Finance put the new Chick-fil-A chicken parmesan meal kit to a taste test.
Fast food giant Taco Bell is ramping up hiring and announced today that it will be hiring 30,000 workers this summer.
Some think of McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) as a recession play. That is, when money is tight and people need something to eat -- either for substance or for comfort -- the Golden Arches is there. However, McDonald's stock hasn't acted in that way.Source: Nixx Photography / Shutterstock.com While some stocks continue to surge to new all-time highs, McDonald's isn't one of them. The stock is still down more than 18% from its 2020 high.However, that doesn't make it one for investors to pass on. Instead, they should be looking at McDonald's stock as a buying opportunity. The question they need to ask themselves is, "at what price?"InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Sizing Up McDonald's StockRestaurants, fast-casual diners and fast-food operators are forecast to struggle this year. That ranges from Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK), Wendy's (NYSE:WEN) and yes, McDonald's stock.Analysts forecast earnings to fall 27% this year to $5.69 per share. That's alongside a 14.4% decline in revenue. That's really not that bad, particularly when compared to some of its peers. * 10 Key Stocks to Watch Over the Next Few Months However, 2021 is forecast to be a rebound year. Consensus expectations call for earnings growth of roughly 40%, along with revenue growth of 15.5%. Like anything, there are positives and negatives with these estimates -- and unknowns. Click to Enlarge Source: Chart courtesy of Statista, Source from GeekWire; Gravity Payments For starters, we don't know if the novel coronavirus is done wreaking havoc on the economy. If it continues, 2021 estimates will likely need to come down.It's good to see earnings estimates for 2021 surpass that of 2019 ($7.92 per share vs. $7.84 per share). While it's always possible that McDonald's doesn't achieve this figure next year, it's a step in the right direction; it's a positive. The negative is revenue growth.Unlike something like 5G -- where investment spend will happen regardless of whether it's delayed -- when burger sales dip because restaurants are closed, those sales are gone. No one is buying two Big Macs at their first Mickey D's stop in May because they were deprived in April.McDonald's stock trades at about 30 times this year's earnings estimate, which is a bit pricey. But it trades at just 22 times 2019 earnings and 2021 estimates once we return to some normalcy. That's really not a bad price to pay for a high-quality company that yields about 2.8% -- particularly when 10-year Treasury yields are at just 0.63%. Buy the Dip Click to Enlarge Source: Chart courtesy of StockCharts.comMcDonald's stock will still be standing when Covid-19 blows over, but that doesn't mean investors should pay any price for it. It's not a bad price now, but it doesn't have the momentum that other stocks do.For instance, one of our favorites in PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) just hit new all-time highs. The same can be said for Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP). But McDonald's is under pressure.Shares couldn't reclaim the $185 to $190 area. So far, it's being rejected by this zone, leaving investors to wonder if it can eventually power through or if a larger pullback could be brewing.Check out the $165 area on the chart above. Technically, this has been a significant level over the past few years. Plus, the rising 200-week moving average comes into play near $161.In this area, McDonald's stock will sport a dividend yield north of 3% and trade closer to 20 times 2021 earnings estimates (and 20 times 2019 earnings). It will also give investors a better risk/reward setup with a lower cost basis.Remember, the stock has not only paid, but raised its dividend for more than four decades. That has been the case since it first started paying its dividend in 1976.McDonald's stock isn't one of the most exciting names out there, let's be honest. But it's a high quality, consistent company with a great global business. Management has done a great job pivoting the business back toward growth and investors should consider it an excellent long-term anchor in their portfolio.Matthew McCall left Wall Street to actually help investors -- by getting them into the world's biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being "first" gave Matt's readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA) and +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), just to name a few. Click here to see what Matt has up his sleeve now. Matt does not directly own the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals Next 1,000% Winner * 25 Stocks You Should Sell Immediately * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post McDonaldas Stock Will Always Be a Portfolio Cornerstone appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Yahoo Finance speaks with Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison following a bang up first quarter. Here's what drove some savory sales gains.
Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi, Alexis Christoforous, and Heidi Chung break down Wendy’s latest earnings report.
Wendy’s, Costco and Kroger have been impacted by disruptions to the beef supply chain due to COVID-19.
RESEARCH REPORTS These reports, excerpted and edited by Barron’s, were issued recently by investment and research firms. The reports are a sampling of analysts’ thinking; they should not be considered the views or recommendations of Barron’s.
Yahoo Finance’s Heidi Chung joins Zack Guzman to discuss Wendy’s boost in same-store sales in its latest quarterly earnings report amid the coronavirus pandemic.