McDonald's Meaty Momentum

In its press release serving up November comps, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) said its "momentum continues."

No kidding. That so-called momentum has made the fast-food giant an interesting (and lucrative) stock these days.

McDonald's total same-store sales increased 8.2%. In the U.S., it had a 4.4% increase in comps, but overseas things were far more exciting. Europe's comps increased 10.8%, and the Asia/Pacific, Middle East, and Africa segments experienced a whopping 12% increase in comps. Germany, the U.K., and France were the big contributors in Europe, and Japan, Australia, and China were the strong points in APMEA.

As has been the case with many retailers, McDonald's had a bit more time in November this year compared to last. McDonald's said that it had one more Friday and one less Wednesday in November this year, positively impacting comps by 0.5% to 0.8% in different global segments.

The fast-food giant has had an amazing run lately. We know that part of its future plans include a shift of its company-owned restaurants to the franchise model. And although much has been made of its entry into the coffee wars, challenging heavyweights like Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX), it did recently say that it will give its franchisees assistance with the financial burden of installing new espresso machines by paying 40% of the expense.  

A trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 32 for an old-school company like McDonald's might sound outrageous on the face of it, but let's see -- McDonald's has not only been firing on all cylinders growth-wise, it's also returning cash to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Burger King (NYSE: BKC) and Wendy's (NYSE: WEN) haven't been able to put the brakes on its success, either, try as they might.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Burger King sees little choice but to offer a $1 double cheeseburger, stating in an internal email the WSJ obtained, "It is our belief that the dollar double cheeseburger is the most powerful weapon our competitor has to continue their growth and steal disproportionate share from the category."

Wow. And of course, with its inexpensive fare, you could argue that McDonald's is a good bet whether there's a recession or not.

McDonald's is hitting new 52-week highs today, but investors shouldn't think they've had their fill of McDonald's yet.

Hungry for more on McDonald's? Take a look at the following Foolish fare:

• One Fool explores how McDonald's four-bagged.
• In October, McDonald's delivered as promised.
• Yes, McDonald's has scorching hot buns.