Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2015: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Andrew Burton/Getty Images This has been a decent year for consumer-facing companies, and restaurant stocks would seem to be obvious beneficiaries. The employment picture is improving, giving consumers the means to eat out. Lower gas prices are also helping. However, not all eatery chains moved higher in 2014. Let's take a look at some of the companies that went the wrong way this year. Potbelly (PBPB) -- Down 51 percent this year The sandwich baker that got its start as part of an antique store has shed more than half of its value. It's been rough for the stock that initially soared after going public last year. Then again, investors have a right to question Potbelly's popularity. Comparable-restaurant sales through the first nine months of this year have declined 1.1 percent, and adjusted profitability has been nearly cut in half. At the end of the day there's no shortage of sandwich shops out there, even if this is the only one that started out in the back of an antique shop. Chuy's (CHUY) -- Down 46 percent this year One of the hardest-hit casual-dining chains of 2014 is Chuy's. The chain of lively Mexican restaurants -- featuring Elvis Presley shrines, nacho bars out of makeshift car trunks and framed pet portraits -- seems to be holding up well. It has rattled off 17 consecutive! quarters of positive comparable-store sales. With just 59 full-service restaurants offering Mexican eats, Chuy's is still in its infancy. The reason that the stock has shed nearly half of its value this year is that it began the year at a lofty valuation. Chuy's is growing, but it's not growing fast enough to justify its earlier market cap. Noodles & Co. (NDLS) -- Down 28 percent this year Noodles & Co. was one of last year's hottest IPOs, soaring after going public at $18. A few trading days later, the stock was poking its head above $50. The fast-casual chain specializing in a wide array of international pasta dishes has a unique concept and plenty of room for

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  AlamyDiners at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Gainesville, Fla. NEW YORK -- Unlike most fast-food chains, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) isn't into the holidays. There are no new menu items, no special promotions and no store decorations. Your experience in the restaurant is pretty much the same in December as it is in July. So far, that "bah humbug" strategy has worked out well for the burrito and salad bowl company. Chipotle's fourth-quarter same-store sales have increased an average of 8.1 percent going back to 2011, according to Bloomberg data. By comparison, chains that go all out for the holidays -- Starbucks (SBUX) Americas, McDonald's (MCD) and Dunkin' Donuts (DNKN) -- have seen smaller gains during the same period.

  Gimmicks like that are the rule in the fast-food universe, but have never been part of our strategy.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  But within the opportunity lies a conundrum: There is no other pure retail coffee competitor anywhere near the size of Starbucks to which it can be compared. The company competes with quick service restaurants like McDonald's  (NYSE: MCD  ) at breakfast, fast-casual restaurants such as Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) at lunch, and local coffee chains and independent coffee houses during other daypa! rts. 

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-blue-chip-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html