McDonald's is entering the advertising business by testing ads on drive-thru order boards, which could generate $1 billion in additional revenue. The company is also investing $8.5 billion over the next decade to remodel restaurants, update menus, and retrain employees. Despite recent struggles with sluggish growth (1.3% comparable growth last quarter), the stock is trading at a reasonable valuation with an attractive 3.3% dividend yield and a 50-year streak of dividend increases.
Axe note: McDonald's is betting big on drive-thru ads to boost revenue, yet South African investors need to watch the rand and local consumer trends closely.