McDonald's and Domino's Pizza to Open Near 52-Week Highs

Restaurant chain operators McDonald's MCD and Domino's Pizza DPZ reached new multiyear highs of $98.43 and $35.00 per share, respectively, in Friday's trading session. McDonald's has a target for 2012 of adding 1,300 new restaurants and remodeling of 2,400 existing restaurants. And the world's largest fast-food company reported stronger-than-expected sales for November. The company is headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., and operates more than 32,000 restaurants in 117 countries. It was founded in 1940 and now has a market cap of $100.3 billion. Earnings per share are anticipated to grow 10.5% over the next five years. The P/E ratio is lower than the industry average, the operating margin is much higher than the average, and the return on equity is a healthy 39.8%. Twenty out of 27 analysts recommend buying the stock. The share price is up more than 14% in the past 90 days and more than 30% higher than a year ago. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitors Wendy's WEN and Yum! Brands YUM. Domino's Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle recently said his company was “recession resistant” and the stock was a Jim Cramer “stocking stuffer” pick. The company attributed strong results in the most recent quarter in part to international sales and digital sales. The pizza-delivery company has more than 9,300 stores. It is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., has a market cap of $2.0 billion and was founded in 1960. The P/E and PEG ratios are higher than the industry average but so is the operating margin. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 9.8%. Five out of 12 analysts recommend buying the stock; none of them consider it a sell. The share price is up almost 9% in the past month and is now more than 125% higher than a year ago. The stock has outperformed competitor Papa John's PZZA and the broader markets over the past six months.