About McDonalds
McDonald’s is one of the world’s most recognisable and trusted consumer brands. A Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain with unrivalled scale and financial strength, the Desk decided that the company was well placed to grow market share both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital, Delivery and Drive-Thru were key differentiators for McDonald’s in 2020. Likewise, significant past investments in IT and store remodelling (now largely complete) boosted performance.
The Trades
The team identified McDonald's as a potential COVID-19 winner given it's structural advantages (e.g. Digital, Delivery and Drive-Thru) and defensive attributes in a highly uncertain demand environment. This thematic play meant buying the stock in May 2020 and selling it in October 2020 generating a c.24% return for investors in under five months.
| Stock | Buy Date | Sell Date | Profit* |
| McDonald's | 21 May 2020 | 13 October 2020 | 23.9% |
Warning: Past performance should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of future performance.
Warning: Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.
Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up.
Warning: If you invest in this product you may lose some or all of the money you invest.
