Fast-food giant McDonald's (MCD) struggled mightily during the first half of 2024, as cash-conscious consumers started to steer away from the chain's iconic burgers and fries. After a couple of disappointing quarterly earnings reports sent the stock lower, the legendary Dividend Aristocrat seemed to be on the cusp of finding the legs for a turnaround - and then this week's headlines threw McDonald's back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as a foodborne illness outbreak was traced back to the restaurant's Quarter Pounders.
With MCD still trading only about 5% away from its newly set highs, is this Dividend Aristocrat a good buy right now for value investors - or is McDonald's stock looking a little overcooked? Here's a deeper dive.
