Is McDonald's Stock Underperforming the Dow?

Core Insights - McDonald's Corporation, valued at $217.1 billion, operates over 38,000 restaurants globally, making it the largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain in the world [1][2] Financial Performance - McDonald's stock has seen a 4.9% decline from its all-time high of $326.32 reached on March 10, and has underperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which gained 4% in the same period [3] - Year-to-date, McDonald's stock has increased by 7.1% and 4.8% over the past 52 weeks, while the Dow has gained 10.7% and 5.3% respectively [4] - Following the release of mixed Q3 results, McDonald's stock rose by 2.2%. The company reported a 6% increase in systemwide sales on a constant currency basis and an 8% increase including forex impact, with comparable sales growing by 3.6% [5] - McDonald's topline grew 3% year-over-year to $7.1 billion, exceeding market expectations by 15 basis points, although adjusted EPS fell by 31 basis points to $3.22, missing consensus estimates by 3.9% [5] Competitive Position - McDonald's has significantly outperformed its peer Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has seen a 44.6% decline year-to-date and a 46.1% drop over the past year [6]