2014 Annual Report
March 2015
To Our Valued Shareholders:
It is an honour to assume the role of CEO for this iconic global
brand that serves approximately 69 million customers in more
than 100 countries every day. I’m privileged to lead this network
of outstanding franchisees, supplier partners and company
employees, all committed to delivering the very best customer
experience.
By our standards, McDonald’s 2014 financial performance was
disappointing. While we grew systemwide sales by 1%*, global
comparable sales decreased 1% and operating income declined
8%*.
We faced significant challenges – some of which were
anticipated, while others were not. Our 2015 plans address
those challenges as we reset the business: how we think, how
we make decisions and how we organise to put consumers at
the forefront of everything we do. We will hold ourselves more
accountable for tangible results and judge performance by our
ability to drive growth.
Our approach is multi-dimensional, acknowledging the
uniqueness of our individual markets through both near- and
longer-term actions as we strive to become a more contemporary
brand. We will improve the Quality, Service, Cleanliness and
Value that are hallmarks of the McDonald’s brand as we strive to
run better restaurants. At the same time, we are taking bigger,
bolder actions to connect more deeply with consumers and
improve critical aspects of our business – including our menu,
the customer experience and brand trust.
We are strengthening our menu pipeline and localising menu
and marketing efforts to be more locally relevant to consumers
in individual countries and regions. For example, we are giving
customers even greater flexibility to customise their orders as we
roll out platforms like Create Your Taste across Australia and in
parts of the U.S.
* in constant currencies
We are also building on the investment we’ve made in technology
to further modernise the restaurant experience and make
it more convenient and contemporary – within and beyond
the restaurant. That’s why we’re scaling multiple order-point
strategies such as self-order kiosks, mobile order and pay, web
order, delivery and table service. It’s also why we’ve significantly
accelerated efforts to create more personal connections with
consumers under the umbrella of a global digital strategy.
Meanwhile, we remain committed to actions that strengthen
consumers’ trust in McDonald’s. In addition to actively addressing
food quality and perceptions, we are making meaningful progress
toward the goals articulated in our global sustainability framework
introduced in 2014. We also give back to the thousands
of communities worldwide where we and our independent
franchisees operate McDonald’s restaurants.
I’m confident we are taking the right actions to assert McDonald’s
as a modern, progressive burger restaurant; one that delivers
outstanding food and beverages at a great value with the ease
and convenience our customers expect. We will emerge from this
time of transition more responsive to customer expectations and
market conditions and better able to deliver enduring, profitable
growth for our franchisees, suppliers, company and shareholders.
Thank you for your investment. I look forward to McDonald’s next
chapter.
Steve Easterbrook
President and CEO
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014
or
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number 1-5231
McDONALD’S CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
One McDonald’s Plaza
Oak Brook, Illinois
(Address of principal executive offices)
36-2361282
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
60523
(Zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (630) 623-3000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Common stock, $.01 par value
Name of each exchange
on which registered
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes
No
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days. Yes
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to
be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
No
No
to submit and post such files). Yes
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
No
Form 10-K.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the
definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check one):
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
(do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2014 was $98,890,784,625.
The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of January 31, 2015 was 961,118,669.
No
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Part III of this Form 10-K incorporates information by reference from the registrant’s 2015 definitive proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after
December 31, 2014.
McDONALD’S CORPORATION
INDEX
Page reference
Part I.
Part II.
Part III.
Part IV.
Item 1
Item 1A
Item 1B
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
Item 5
Item 6
Item 7
Item 7A
Item 8
Item 9
Item 9A
Item 9B
Item 10
Item 11
Item 12
Item 13
Item 14
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Risk Factors and Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unresolved Staff Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Legal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mine Safety Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Selected Financial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controls and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Executive Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters . . . . . . . . .
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Principal Accountant Fees and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Item 15
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibits
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
1
3
7
7
7
8
10
11
12
28
28
49
49
49
49
49
49
50
50
50
53
PART I
ITEM 1. Business
McDonald’s Corporation, the registrant, together with its sub-
sidiaries, is referred to herein as the “Company.”
a. General development of business
During 2014, there were no material changes to the Company’s
corporate structure or in its method of conducting business. In
2014, the Company continued the process it began in 2005 to
realign certain subsidiaries to develop a corporate structure within
its geographic segments that better reflects the operation of the
McDonald’s worldwide business.
b. Financial information about segments
Segment data for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and
2012 are included in Part II, Item 8, page 42 of this Form 10-K.
c. Narrative description of business
General
The Company operates and franchises McDonald’s restaurants,
which serve a locally-relevant menu of quality food and drinks sold
at various affordable price points in more than 100 countries.
McDonald’s global system is comprised of both Company-owned
and franchised restaurants. McDonald’s franchised restaurants are
owned and operated under one of the following structures -
conventional franchise, developmental license or affiliate. The
optimal ownership structure for an individual restaurant, trading
area or market (country) is based on a variety of factors, including
the availability of individuals with the entrepreneurial experience
and financial resources, as well as the local legal and regulatory
environment in critical areas such as property ownership and
franchising. We continually review, and as appropriate adjust, our
mix of Company-owned and franchised restaurants to help
optimize overall performance. The business relationship between
McDonald’s and its independent franchisees is of fundamental
importance to overall performance and to the McDonald’s Brand.
This business relationship is supported by an agreement that
requires adherence to standards and policies essential to
protecting our brand.
The Company views itself primarily as a franchisor, with the
vast majority of McDonald’s restaurants (approximately 80%)
owned and operated by independent franchisees. Franchising
enables an individual to own a restaurant business and maintain
control over personnel, purchasing, marketing and pricing
decisions, while also benefiting from the strength of McDonald’s
global brand, operating system and financial resources. One of the
strengths of this model is that the expertise gained from operating
Company-owned restaurants allows McDonald’s to improve the
operations and success of all restaurants while innovations from
franchisees can be tested and, when viable, efficiently
implemented across relevant restaurants.
Directly operating McDonald’s restaurants contributes
significantly to our ability to act as a credible franchisor. Having
Company-owned restaurants is essential to providing Company
personnel with a venue for restaurant operations training
experience. In addition, in our Company-owned and operated
restaurants, and in collaboration with franchisees, we are able to
further develop and refine operating standards, marketing
concepts and product and pricing strategies that will ultimately
benefit relevant McDonald’s restaurants.
Under a conventional franchise arrangement, the Company
owns the land and building or secures a long-term lease for the
restaurant location and the franchisee pays for equipment, signs,
seating and décor. The Company believes that ownership of real
estate, combined with the co-investment by franchisees, enables
us to achieve restaurant performance levels that are among the
highest in the industry.
Franchisees are also responsible for reinvesting capital in
their businesses over time. In addition, to accelerate
implementation of certain initiatives, the Company frequently co-
invests with franchisees to fund improvements to their restaurants
or their operating systems. These investments, developed with
input from McDonald’s with the aim of improving local business
performance, increase the value of our Brand through the
development of modernized, more attractive and higher revenue
generating restaurants.
The Company’s typical franchise term is 20 years. The
Company requires franchisees to meet rigorous standards and
generally does not work with passive investors. The business
relationship with franchisees is designed to assure consistency
and high quality at all McDonald’s restaurants. Conventional
franchisees contribute to the Company’s revenue through the
payment of rent and royalties based upon a percent of sales, with
specified minimum rent payments, along with initial fees paid upon
the opening of a new restaurant or grant of a new franchise. This
structure enables McDonald’s to generate significant levels of
cash flow.
Under a developmental license arrangement, licensees
provide capital for the entire business, including the real estate
interest. The Company does not invest any capital under a
developmental license arrangement. The Company receives a
royalty based upon a percent of sales as well as initial fees upon
the opening of a new restaurant or grant of a new license. We use
the developmental license ownership structure in over 70
countries with a total of 5,228 restaurants. The largest
developmental licensee operates approximately 2,100 restaurants
in 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Finally, the Company also has an equity investment in a
limited number of foreign affiliated markets, referred to as
“affiliates.” In these markets, the Company receives a royalty
based on a percent of sales and records its share of net results in
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates. The largest of these
affiliates is Japan, where there are nearly 3,100 restaurants.
Supply Chain and Quality Assurance
The Company and its franchisees purchase food, packaging,
equipment and other goods from numerous independent
suppliers. The Company has established and enforces high quality
standards and product specifications. The Company has quality
centers around the world designed to ensure that its high
standards are consistently met. The quality assurance process not
only involves ongoing product reviews, but also on-site supplier
visits. A quality leadership board, composed of the Company’s
technical, safety and supply chain specialists, provides strategic
global leadership for all aspects of food quality and safety. In
addition, the Company works closely with suppliers to encourage
innovation, assure best practices and drive continuous
improvement. Leveraging scale, supply chain infrastructure and
risk management strategies, the Company also collaborates with
suppliers toward a goal of achieving competitive, predictable food
and paper costs over the long term.
Independently owned and operated distribution centers,
approved by the Company, distribute products and supplies to
McDonald’s restaurants. In addition, restaurant personnel are
trained in the proper storage, handling and preparation of
products.
Products
McDonald’s restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu,
although there are geographic variations to suit local consumer
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 1
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
1
competes on the basis of price, convenience, service, menu
variety and product quality in a highly fragmented global
restaurant industry.
In measuring the Company’s competitive position,
management reviews data compiled by Euromonitor International,
a leading source of market data with respect to the global
restaurant industry. The Company’s primary competition, which
management refers to as the informal eating out ("IEO") segment,
includes the following restaurant categories defined by
Euromonitor International: quick-service eating establishments,
casual dining full-service restaurants, street stalls or kiosks,
cafés,100% home delivery/takeaway providers, specialist coffee
shops, self-service cafeterias and juice/smoothie bars. The IEO
segment excludes establishments that primarily serve alcohol and
full-service restaurants other than casual dining.
Based on data from Euromonitor International, the global IEO
segment was composed of approximately 8 million outlets and
generated $1.2 trillion in annual sales in 2013, the most recent
year for which data is available. McDonald’s Systemwide 2013
restaurant business accounted for 0.4% of those outlets and 7.5%
of the sales.
Management also on occasion benchmarks McDonald’s
against the entire restaurant industry, including the IEO segment
defined above and all other full-service restaurants. Based on data
from Euromonitor International, the restaurant industry was
composed of approximately 17 million outlets and generated $2.3
trillion in annual sales in 2013. McDonald’s Systemwide restaurant
business accounted for 0.2% of those outlets and 3.8% of the
sales.
Research and development
The Company operates research and development facilities in the
U.S., Europe and Asia. While research and development activities
are important to the Company’s business, these expenditures are
not material. Independent suppliers also conduct research
activities that benefit the Company, its franchisees and suppliers
(collectively referred to as the "System").
Environmental matters
Increased focus by U.S. and overseas governmental authorities
on environmental matters is likely to lead to new governmental
initiatives, particularly in the area of climate change. While we
cannot predict the precise nature of these initiatives, we expect
that they may impact our business both directly and indirectly.
Although the impact would likely vary by world region and/or
market, we believe that adoption of new regulations may increase
costs for the System. Also, there is a possibility that governmental
initiatives, or actual or perceived effects of changes in weather
patterns, climate, or water resources could have a direct impact on
the operations of our restaurants or the operations of our suppliers
in ways which we cannot predict at this time.
The Company monitors developments related to
environmental matters and plans to respond to governmental
initiatives in a timely and appropriate manner. At this time, the
Company has already begun to undertake its own initiatives
relating to preservation of the environment, including the
implementation of more energy efficient equipment and
management of energy use and more sustainable sourcing
practices in many of its markets.
Number of employees
The Company’s number of employees worldwide, including
Company-operated restaurant employees, was approximately
420,000 as of year-end 2014.
preferences and tastes. In addition, McDonald’s tests new
products on an ongoing basis.
McDonald’s menu includes hamburgers and cheeseburgers,
Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Filet-O-Fish, several
chicken sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets, wraps, french fries,
salads, oatmeal, shakes, McFlurry desserts, sundaes, soft serve
cones, pies, soft drinks, coffee, McCafé beverages and other
beverages. In addition, the restaurants sell a variety of other
products during limited-time promotions.
McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. and many international
markets offer a full or limited breakfast menu. Breakfast offerings
may include Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg,
McGriddles, biscuit and bagel sandwiches and hotcakes.
Quality, choice and nutrition are increasingly important to our
customers and we are continuously evolving our menu to meet our
customers' needs.
Marketing
McDonald’s global brand is well known. Marketing, promotional
and public relations activities are designed to promote McDonald’s
brand and differentiate the Company from competitors. Marketing
and promotional efforts focus on value, quality, food taste, menu
choice, nutrition, convenience and the customer experience. The
Company continuously endeavors to improve its social
responsibility and environmental practices to achieve long-term
sustainability, which benefits McDonald’s and the communities it
serves.
Intellectual property
The Company owns or is licensed to use valuable intellectual
property including trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights,
trade secrets and other proprietary information. The Company
considers the trademarks “McDonald’s” and “The Golden Arches
Logo” to be of material importance to its business. Depending on
the jurisdiction, trademarks and service marks generally are valid
as long as they are used and/or registered. Patents, copyrights
and licenses are of varying remaining durations.
Seasonal operations
The Company does not consider its operations to be seasonal to
any material degree.
Working capital practices
Information about the Company’s working capital practices is
incorporated herein by reference to Management’s discussion and
analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the
years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 in Part II,
Item 7, pages 12 through 28, and the Consolidated statement of
cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and
2012 in Part II, Item 8, page 32 of this Form 10-K.
Customers
The Company’s business is not dependent upon either a single
customer or small group of customers.
Backlog
Company-operated restaurants have no backlog orders.
Government contracts
No material portion of the business is subject to renegotiation of
profits or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of
the U.S. government.
Competition
McDonald’s restaurants compete with international, national,
regional and local retailers of food products. The Company
2 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
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McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
d. Financial information about geographic areas
Financial information about geographic areas is incorporated
herein by reference to Management’s discussion and analysis of
financial condition and results of operations in Part II, Item 7,
pages 12 through 28 and Segment and geographic information in
Part II, Item 8, page 42 of this Form 10-K.
e. Available information
The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"). The Company
therefore files periodic reports, proxy statements and other
information with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
("SEC"). Such reports may be obtained by visiting the Public
Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC
20549, or by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. In addition, the
SEC maintains an Internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains
reports, proxy and information statements and other information.
Financial and other information can also be accessed on the
investor section of the Company’s website at
www.aboutmcdonalds.com. The Company makes available, free
of charge, copies of its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably
practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise
furnishing it to the SEC. Copies of financial and other information
are also available free of charge by calling (800) 228-9623 or by
sending a request to McDonald’s Corporation Shareholder
Services, Department 720, One McDonald’s Plaza, Oak Brook,
Illinois 60523.
Also posted on McDonald’s website are the Company’s
Corporate Governance Principles; the charters for each of the
Committees of the Board of Directors, including the Audit
Committee, Compensation Committee and Governance
Committee; the Code of Conduct for the Board of Directors; and
the Company’s Standards of Business Conduct, which applies to
all officers and employees. Copies of these documents are also
available free of charge by calling (800) 228-9623 or by sending a
request to McDonald’s Corporation Shareholder Services,
Department 720, One McDonald’s Plaza, Oak Brook, Illinois
60523.
Information on the Company’s website is not incorporated into
this Form 10-K or the Company’s other securities filings and is not
a part of them.
ITEM 1A. Risk Factors and Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
The information in this report includes forward-looking statements
about our plans and future performance, including those under
Outlook. These statements use such words as “may,” “will,”
“expect,” “believe” and “plan.” They reflect our expectations and
speak only as of the date of this report. We do not undertake to
update them. Our expectations (or the underlying assumptions)
may change or not be realized, and you should not rely unduly on
forward-looking statements. Our business results are subject to a
variety of risks that are reflected in the following considerations
and factors that we believe are most likely to affect our
performance.
If we do not successfully design and execute our global
growth strategies, we may not be able to increase revenues
or market share.
To drive future results, our global growth strategies must be
effective in achieving market share gains while at the same time
delivering operating income growth. Our strategies are aligned
around the four strategic growth priorities that represent our
greatest opportunities to drive results-serving our customers’
favorite food and drinks, creating memorable experiences, offering
unparalleled convenience, and being a more trusted brand. We
focus our System on execution across all of our strategies through
a common, integrated approach to people, products, place, price
and promotion. Whether we successfully execute these strategies
depends mainly on our System’s ability to:
Continue to innovate and differentiate in all aspects of the
McDonald’s experience in a way that balances value with
profitability;
Reinvest in our restaurants and identify and develop
restaurant sites consistent with our System’s plans for net
growth of System-wide restaurants;
•
Provide clean and friendly environments that deliver a
consistent McDonald's experience and demonstrate high
service levels;
• Drive restaurant improvements that achieve optimal capacity,
particularly during peak mealtime hours; and
• Manage the complexity of our restaurant operations.
If we are unsuccessful in executing our strategies, or if our
strategies do not yield the desired results, our business, financial
condition and results of operations may suffer.
We face intense competition in our markets, which could hurt
our business.
We compete primarily in the IEO segment, which is highly
competitive. In some of our major markets, IEO segments have
remained stagnant in recent periods, have experienced only
modest growth or have declined. As a result, we are facing
sustained, intense competition from both traditional and other
competitors, which include many non-traditional market
participants such as convenience stores and coffee shops. In
addition, in recent periods we have experienced emerging and
growing competition from the fast casual category of restaurants.
We expect our environment to continue to be highly competitive
and in any particular reporting period our results may be impacted
by new actions of our competition, which may have a short- or
long-term impact.
We compete on the basis of product choice, quality,
affordability, service and location. In particular, we believe our
ability to compete successfully in the current market environment
depends on our ability to improve existing products, develop new
products, price our products appropriately, manage the complexity
of our restaurant operations and respond effectively to our
competitors’ actions. Recognizing these dependencies, we have
intensified our focus in recent periods on strategies to achieve
these goals and we will likely continue to modify existing strategies
and implement new strategies in the future. There can be no
assurance these strategies will be effective, and some strategies
may be effective at improving some metrics while adversely
affecting other metrics.
If we do not anticipate and address evolving consumer
preferences, our business could suffer.
Our continued success depends on our System’s ability to
anticipate and respond effectively to continuously shifting
consumer demographics, trends in food sourcing, food preparation
and consumer preferences in the IEO segment. We must
continuously adapt to deliver a relevant experience for our
customers amidst a highly competitive, value-driven operating
environment. Over the last year, we have implemented initiatives
to address these shifts at a more aggressive pace. There is no
assurance that such initiatives will be successful and, if they are
not, our financial results could be adversely impacted.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 3
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If our pricing, promotional and marketing plans are not
effective, our results may be negatively impacted.
Our results depend on the impact of our pricing, promotional
and marketing plans and our System’s ability to adjust these plans
to respond quickly to economic and competitive conditions. Our
existing or future pricing strategies and the value proposition they
represent will continue to be important components of our overall
plan, may not be successful and could negatively impact sales
and margins. The promotion of our menu offerings may yield
results below desired levels.
Additionally, we operate in an increasingly complex and costly
advertising environment. Our marketing and advertising programs
may not be successful and we may fail to attract and retain
customers. We have increased our emphasis on digital offerings
and customer loyalty initiatives, and our success depends in part
on whether we can effectively execute such offerings and
initiatives in a way that will enhance customer engagement. If our
pricing, promotional and marketing plans are not successful, or
are not as successful as those of our competitors, our sales, guest
counts and market share could decrease.
Failure to preserve the value and relevance of our brand
could have a negative impact on our financial results.
To be successful in the future, we believe we must preserve,
enhance and leverage the value of our brand. Brand value is
based in part on consumer perceptions on a variety of factors,
including the nutritional content and preparation of our food, our
business practices and the manner in which we source the
commodities we use. Consumer acceptance of our offerings is
subject to change for a variety of reasons. For example,
nutritional, health and other scientific studies and conclusions,
which constantly evolve and often have contradictory implications,
drive popular opinion, litigation and regulation (including initiatives
intended to drive consumer behavior) in ways that affect the IEO
segment or perceptions of our brand and could be material to our
business. Perceptions may also be affected by activist campaigns
to promote adverse perceptions of the quick-service category of
the IEO segment or our brand and/or our operations, or to
promote or threaten specific economic action involving the
industry, us, our suppliers or franchisees. If we are unsuccessful in
addressing such adverse perceptions, our brand and our financial
results may suffer.
Additionally, the ongoing relevance of our brand may depend
on the success of our sustainability initiatives to support our brand
ambition of good food, good people and good neighbor, which will
require System-wide coordination and alignment. If we are not
effective in achieving our stated sustainability goals and
addressing these and other matters of social responsibility in a
way that inspires trust and confidence, trust in our brand could
suffer. In particular, business incidents that erode consumer trust,
particularly if such incidents receive considerable publicity or result
in litigation, can significantly reduce brand value and have a
negative impact on our financial results.
Unfavorable general economic conditions could adversely
affect our business and financial results.
Our results of operations are substantially affected by
economic conditions, which can vary significantly by market and
can impact consumer disposable income levels and spending
habits. Economic conditions can also be impacted by a variety of
factors including hostilities, epidemics and actions taken by
governments to manage national economic matters, whether
through austerity or stimulus measures and initiatives intended to
control wages, unemployment, credit availability, inflation, taxation
and other economic drivers. Many major economies, both
advanced and developing, continue to face weak economies, high
4 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
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McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
unemployment rates and other ongoing economic issues.
Continued adverse economic conditions or adverse changes in
economic conditions in our markets could pressure our operating
performance, and our business and financial results may suffer.
Supply chain interruptions may increase costs or reduce
revenues.
We depend on the effectiveness of our supply chain
management to assure reliable and sufficient product supply,
including on favorable terms. The products we sell are sourced
from a wide variety of suppliers in countries around the world.
Supply chain interruptions, including due to lack of supply or price
increases, can adversely affect us or the suppliers and franchisees
that are also part of our System and whose performance has a
significant impact on our results. Such shortages or disruptions
could be caused by factors beyond the control of our suppliers or
us, including inclement weather, natural disasters, increased
demand, problems in production or distribution, disruptions in third
party logistics or transportation systems, the inability of our
suppliers to obtain credit, or food safety warnings or advisories. If
we experience interruptions in our supply chain, our costs could
increase and it could limit the availability of products critical to our
operations.
Food safety concerns may have an adverse effect on our
business.
Our ability to increase sales and profits depends on our
System’s ability to meet expectations for safe food and on our
ability to manage the potential impact on McDonald’s of food-
borne illnesses and food or product safety issues that may arise in
the future. Food safety is a top priority, and we dedicate
substantial resources to ensure that our customers enjoy safe
food products. However, food safety events, including instances of
food-borne illness, have occurred in the food industry in the past,
and could occur in the future. In 2014, food quality issues were
discovered at a supplier to McDonald’s and other food companies
in China. As a consequence of this issue, results in China, Japan
and certain other markets were negatively impacted due to lost
sales and profitability, including expenses associated with
rebuilding customer trust. Any future instances of food tampering,
food contamination or food-borne illness could adversely affect our
brand and reputation as well as our revenues and profits.
Our franchise business model presents a number of risks.
Our success relies in part on the financial success and
cooperation of our franchisees, yet we have limited influence over
their operations. Our restaurant margins arise from two sources:
Company-operated restaurants and franchised restaurants. Our
franchisees manage their businesses independently, and therefore
are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their restaurants.
The revenues we realize from franchised restaurants are largely
dependent on the ability of our franchisees to grow their sales.
Our franchisees may not experience sales growth, and our
revenues and margins could be negatively affected as a result. If
sales trends worsen for franchisees, their financial results may
deteriorate, which could result in, among other things, restaurant
closures or delayed or reduced payments to us.
Our success also depends on the willingness and ability of
our independent franchisees to implement major initiatives, which
may include financial investment, and to remain aligned with us on
operating, promotional and capital-intensive reinvestment plans.
The ability of our franchisees to contribute to the achievement of
our plans is dependent in large part on the availability of funding at
reasonable interest rates and may be negatively impacted by the
financial markets in general or by the individual franchisee's
creditworthiness. Our operating performance could also be
negatively affected if our franchisees experience food safety or
other operational problems or project a brand image inconsistent
with our values, particularly if our contractual and other rights and
remedies are limited, costly to exercise or subject to litigation. If
franchisees do not successfully operate restaurants in a manner
consistent with our required standards, the brand’s image and
reputation could be harmed, which in turn could hurt our business
and operating results.
Our ownership mix also affects our results and financial
condition. The decision to own restaurants or to operate under
franchise or license agreements is driven by many factors whose
interrelationship is complex and changing. Our ability to achieve
the benefits of our refranchising strategy, which involves a shift to
a greater percentage of franchised restaurants, will depend on
various factors, including our ability to identify franchisees that
meet our rigorous standards, the performance of our existing
franchisees and whether the resulting ownership mix supports our
financial objectives.
Changes in commodity and other operating costs could
adversely affect our results of operations.
The profitability of our Company-owned restaurants depends
in part on our ability to anticipate and react to changes in
commodity costs, including food, paper, supply, fuel, utilities,
distribution and other operating costs. Any volatility in certain
commodity prices could adversely affect our operating results by
impacting restaurant profitability. The commodity market for some
of the ingredients we use, such as beef and chicken, is particularly
volatile and is subject to significant price fluctuations due to
seasonal shifts, climate conditions, industry demand, international
commodity markets, food safety concerns, product recalls,
government regulation and other factors, all of which are beyond
our control and, in many instances, unpredictable. We can only
partially address future price risk through hedging and other
activities, and therefore increases in commodity costs could have
an adverse impact on our profitability.
The global scope of our operations subjects us to risks that
could negatively affect our business.
We face differing cultural, regulatory and economic
environments that exist within and among the more than 100
countries where McDonald’s restaurants operate, and our ability to
achieve our business objectives depends on our success in these
environments. Meeting customer expectations is complicated by
the risks inherent in our global operating environment, and our
global success is partially dependent on our System’s ability to
leverage operating successes across markets. Our initiatives may
not have broad appeal with our customer base and could drive
unanticipated changes in customer perceptions and guest counts.
Disruptions in our operations or price volatility in a market can
also result from governmental actions, such as price, foreign
exchange or import-export controls, increased tariffs, government-
mandated closure of our or our suppliers’ operations and asset
seizures. The cost and disruption of responding to governmental
investigations or actions, whether or not they have merit, may
impact our results. Our international success depends in part on
the effectiveness of our strategies and brand-building initiatives to
reduce our exposure to such governmental actions. Our results of
operations and financial condition are also affected by fluctuations
in currency exchange rates, which may adversely affect reported
earnings.
Additionally, we face challenges and uncertainties associated
with operating in developing markets, which may entail a relatively
higher risk of political instability, economic volatility, crime,
corruption and social and ethnic unrest. For example, our results
have been negatively impacted by the ongoing events in the
Ukraine and Russia. Such challenges are exacerbated in many
cases by a lack of an independent and experienced judiciary and
uncertainties in how local law is applied and enforced, including in
areas most relevant to commercial transactions and foreign
investment. If we are unable to effectively manage the risks
associated with our international operations, it could have a
material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Challenges with respect to talent management could harm
our business.
Our success depends in part on our System’s ability to recruit
and retain qualified personnel to manage our operations. For
instance, the trend toward higher wages and social expenses
could have a negative impact on the margins of our Company-
owned restaurants. Additionally, economic action, such as
boycotts, protests, work stoppages or campaigns by labor
organizations, could adversely affect us or the franchisees and
suppliers that are also part of the McDonald’s System and whose
performance has a material impact on our results.
We are also impacted by the costs and other effects of
compliance with U.S. and overseas regulations affecting our
workforce, which includes our staff and employees working in our
Company-owned restaurants. These regulations are increasingly
focused on wage and hour, healthcare, immigration, retirement
and other employee benefits and unlawful workplace
discrimination. Our potential exposure to reputational and other
harm regarding our workplace practices or conditions or those of
our independent franchisees or suppliers (or perceptions thereof)
could have a negative impact on our business.
Information technology system failures or interruptions or
breaches of our network security may interrupt our
operations.
We are increasingly reliant on our technological systems (e.g.,
point-of-sale and other in-store systems or platforms) to conduct
our business, and any failure of these systems could significantly
impact our operations. Despite our implementation of security
measures, our technology systems could become vulnerable to
damage, disability or failures due to theft, fire, power loss,
telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events. If these
systems were to fail, and we were unable to recover in a timely
way, we could experience an interruption in our operations. We
may also not fully realize the benefits of the significant
investments we are making to enhance the customer experience
through digital engagement and social media.
Furthermore, security breaches involving our systems or
those of third party providers may occur, such as unauthorized
access, denial of service, computer viruses and other disruptive
problems caused by hackers. Our information technology systems
contain personal, financial and other information that is entrusted
to us by our customers and employees as well as financial,
proprietary and other confidential information related to our
business. An actual or alleged security breach could result in
system disruptions, shutdowns, theft or unauthorized disclosure of
confidential information. The occurrence of any of these incidents
could result in adverse publicity, loss of consumer confidence,
reduced sales and profits, and criminal penalties or civil liabilities.
Increasing regulatory complexity may adversely affect
restaurant operations and our financial results.
Our regulatory environment worldwide exposes us to complex
compliance and similar risks that could affect our operations and
results in material ways. In many of our markets, including the
United States and countries in Europe, we are subject to
increasing regulation, which has increased our cost of doing
business. We are affected by the cost, compliance and other risks
associated with the often conflicting and highly prescriptive
regulations we face, including where inconsistent standards
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 5
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
5
imposed by multiple governmental authorities can adversely affect
our business and increase our exposure to litigation or
governmental investigations or proceedings.
Our success depends in part on our ability to manage the
impact of new, potential or changing regulations that can affect our
business plans. These regulations may relate to product
packaging, marketing and the nutritional content and safety of our
food and other products, labeling and other disclosure practices
(particularly given varying requirements and practices for testing
and disclosure), ordinary variations in food preparation among our
own restaurants, and the need to rely on the accuracy and
completeness of information from third-party suppliers.
Additionally, we are keenly aware of and working to manage
the risks and costs to us, our franchisees and our supply chain of
the effects of climate change, greenhouse gases, energy and
water resources. The increased public focus, including by
governmental and non-governmental organizations, on these and
other environmental sustainability matters (e.g., packaging and
waste, animal health and welfare, deforestation and land use) and
the increased pressure to make commitments, set targets or
establish additional goals and take actions to meet them, could
expose us to market, operational and execution costs or risks. If
we are unable to effectively manage the risks associated with our
complex regulatory environment, it could have a material adverse
effect on our business and financial condition.
We are subject to increasing legal complexity and could be
party to litigation that could adversely affect us.
Increasing legal complexity will continue to affect our
operations and results in material ways. We could be subject to
legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business,
including class actions, administrative proceedings, government
investigations, employment and personal injury claims, landlord/
tenant disputes, disputes with current or former suppliers, claims
by current or former franchisees, and intellectual property claims
(including claims that we infringed another party’s trademarks,
copyrights, or patents). Inconsistent standards imposed by
governmental authorities can adversely affect our business and
increase our exposure to litigation.
Litigation involving our relationship with franchisees and the
legal distinction between our franchisees and us for employment
law purposes, if determined adversely, could increase costs,
negatively impact the business prospects of our franchisees and
subject us to incremental liability for their actions. We are also
subject to the legal and compliance risks associated with privacy,
data collection, protection and management, in particular as it
relates to information we collect when we provide technology-
related services to franchisees.
Our operating results could also be affected by the following:
The relative level of our defense costs, which vary from
period to period depending on the number, nature and
procedural status of pending proceedings;
The cost and other effects of settlements, judgments or
consent decrees, which may require us to make disclosures
or take other actions that may affect perceptions of our brand
and products;
Adverse results of pending or future litigation, including
litigation challenging the composition and preparation of our
products, or the appropriateness or accuracy of our
marketing or other communication practices; and
The scope and terms of insurance or indemnification
protections that we may have.
A judgment significantly in excess of any applicable insurance
coverage could materially adversely affect our financial condition
6 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
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McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
or results of operations. Further, adverse publicity resulting from
these claims may hurt our business.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual
property or adequately ensure that we are not infringing the
intellectual property of others, which could harm the value of
the McDonald’s brand and our business.
The success of our business depends on our continued ability
to use our existing trademarks and service marks in order to
increase brand awareness and further develop our branded
products in both domestic and international markets. We rely on a
combination of trademarks, copyrights, service marks, trade
secrets, patents and other intellectual property rights to protect our
brand and branded products. We also license our intellectual
property to franchisees and we cannot assure you that they will
not take actions that hurt the value of our intellectual property.
We have registered certain trademarks and have other
trademark registrations pending in the United States and certain
foreign jurisdictions. The trademarks that we currently use have
not been registered in all of the countries outside of the United
States in which we do business or may do business in the future
and may never be registered in all of these countries. The steps
we have taken to protect our intellectual property in the United
States and foreign countries may not be adequate. In addition, the
steps we have taken may not adequately ensure that we do not
infringe the intellectual property of others and third parties may
claim infringement by us in the future. In particular, we may be
involved in intellectual property claims, including often aggressive
or opportunistic attempts to enforce patents used in information
technology systems, which might affect our operations and results.
Any claim of infringement, whether or not it has merit, could be
time-consuming, could result in costly litigation and could harm our
business.
Changes in tax laws and unanticipated tax liabilities could
adversely affect the taxes we pay and our profitability.
We are subject to income and other taxes in the United States
and foreign jurisdictions, and our operations, plans and results are
affected by tax and other initiatives around the world. In particular,
we are affected by the impact of changes to tax laws or related
authoritative interpretations, particularly if corporate tax reform
becomes a key component of budgetary initiatives in the United
States and elsewhere. We are also impacted by settlements of
pending or any future adjustments proposed by the IRS or other
taxing authorities in connection with our tax audits, all of which will
depend on their timing, nature and scope. Any increases in
income tax rates, changes in income tax laws or unfavorable
resolution of tax matters could have a material adverse impact on
our financial results.
Changes in accounting standards or the recognition of
impairment charges may adversely affect our future
operations and results.
New accounting standards or changes in financial reporting
requirements, accounting principles or practices, including with
respect to our critical accounting estimates, could affect our future
results. We may also be affected by the nature and timing of
decisions about underperforming markets or assets, including
decisions that result in impairment charges that reduce our
earnings. In assessing the recoverability of our long-lived assets,
we consider changes in economic conditions and make
assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other
factors. These estimates are highly subjective and can be
significantly impacted by many factors such as global and local
business and economic conditions, operating costs, inflation,
competition, and consumer and demographic trends. If our
estimates or underlying assumptions change in the future, we may
be required to record impairment charges. If we experience any
such changes, they could have a significant effect on our reported
results for the affected periods.
ITEM 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
A decrease in our credit ratings or an increase in our funding
costs could adversely affect our profitability.
ITEM 2. Properties
We may be negatively affected by the impact of changes in
our debt levels or our results of operations on our credit ratings,
interest expense, availability of acceptable counterparties, ability
to obtain funding on favorable terms or our operating or financial
flexibility, especially if lenders impose new operating or financial
covenants. Our operations may also be impacted by regulations
affecting capital flows, financial markets or financial institutions,
which can limit our ability to manage and deploy our liquidity or
increase our funding costs. If any of these events were to occur,
they could have a material adverse effect on our business and
financial condition.
Trading volatility and price of our common stock may be
affected by many factors.
Many factors affect the volatility and price of our common
stock in addition to our operating results and prospects. The most
important of these, some of which are outside our control, are the
following:
The continuing unpredictable global economic and market
conditions;
Governmental action or inaction in light of key indicators of
economic activity or events that can significantly influence
financial markets, particularly in the United States which is
the principal trading market for our common stock, and
media reports and commentary about economic or other
matters, even when the matter in question does not directly
relate to our business;
Trading activity in our common stock or trading activity in
derivative instruments with respect to our common stock or
debt securities, which can be affected by market commentary
(including commentary that may be unreliable or incomplete);
unauthorized disclosures about our performance, plans or
expectations about our business; our actual performance and
creditworthiness; investor confidence generally; actions by
shareholders and others seeking to influence our business
strategies; portfolio transactions in our stock by significant
shareholders; or trading activity that results from the ordinary
course rebalancing of stock indices in which McDonald’s may
be included, such as the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones
Industrial Average;
The impact of our stock repurchase program or dividend rate;
and
The impact on our results of other corporate actions, such as
those we may take from time to time as part of our
continuous review of our corporate structure in light of
business, legal and tax considerations.
Our results and prospects can be adversely affected by
events such as severe weather conditions, natural disasters,
hostilities and social unrest, among others.
Severe weather conditions, natural disasters, hostilities and
social unrest, terrorist activities, health epidemics or pandemics
(or expectations about them) can adversely affect consumer
spending and confidence levels or other factors that affect our
results and prospects, such as commodity costs. Our receipt of
proceeds under any insurance we maintain with respect to certain
of these risks may be delayed or the proceeds may be insufficient
to offset our losses fully.
The Company owns and leases real estate primarily in connection
with its restaurant business. The Company identifies and develops
sites that offer convenience to customers and long-term sales and
profit potential to the Company. To assess potential, the Company
analyzes traffic and walking patterns, census data and other
relevant data. The Company’s experience and access to
advanced technology aid in evaluating this information. The
Company generally owns the land and building or secures long-
term leases for restaurant sites, which ensures long-term
occupancy rights and helps control related costs. Restaurant
profitability for both the Company and franchisees is important;
therefore, ongoing efforts are made to control average
development costs through construction and design efficiencies,
standardization and by leveraging the Company’s global sourcing
network. Additional information about the Company’s properties is
included in Management’s discussion and analysis of financial
condition and results of operations in Part II, Item 7, pages
12 through 28 and in Financial statements and supplementary
data in Part II, Item 8, pages 28 through 45 of this Form 10-K.
ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings
The Company has pending a number of lawsuits that have been
filed in various jurisdictions. These lawsuits cover a broad variety
of allegations spanning the Company’s entire business. The
following is a brief description of the more significant types of
lawsuits. In addition, the Company is subject to various federal,
state and local regulations that impact various aspects of its
business, as discussed below. While the Company does not
believe that any such claims, lawsuits or regulations will have a
material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of
operations, unfavorable rulings could occur. Were an unfavorable
ruling to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse
impact on net income for the period in which the ruling occurs or
for future periods.
Franchising
A substantial number of McDonald’s restaurants are franchised to
independent owner/operators under contractual arrangements
with the Company. In the course of the franchise relationship,
occasional disputes arise between the Company and its
franchisees relating to a broad range of subjects including, but not
limited to, quality, service and cleanliness issues, contentions
regarding grants or terminations of franchises, delinquent
payments of rents and fees, and franchisee claims for additional
franchises or rewrites of franchises. Additionally, occasional
disputes arise between the Company and individuals who claim
they should have been granted a McDonald’s franchise.
Suppliers
The Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries generally do not
supply food, paper or related items to any McDonald’s restaurants.
The Company relies upon numerous independent suppliers,
including service providers, that are required to meet and maintain
the Company’s high standards and specifications. On occasion,
disputes arise between the Company and its suppliers (or former
suppliers) which include, by way of example, compliance with
product specifications and the Company’s business relationship
with suppliers. In addition, disputes occasionally arise on a
number of issues between the Company and individuals or entities
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 7
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
7
who claim that they should be (or should have been) granted the
opportunity to supply products or services to the Company’s
restaurants.
Employees
Hundreds of thousands of people are employed by the Company
and in restaurants owned and operated by subsidiaries of the
Company. In addition, thousands of people from time to time seek
employment in such restaurants. In the ordinary course of
business, disputes arise regarding hiring, termination, promotion
and pay practices, including wage and hour disputes, alleged
discrimination and compliance with employment laws.
Customers
Restaurants owned by subsidiaries of the Company regularly
serve a broad segment of the public. In so doing, disputes arise as
to products, service, incidents, advertising, nutritional and other
disclosures, as well as other matters common to an extensive
restaurant business such as that of the Company.
Intellectual Property
The Company has registered trademarks and service marks,
patents and copyrights, some of which are of material importance
to the Company’s business. From time to time, the Company may
become involved in litigation to protect its intellectual property and
defend against the alleged use of third party intellectual property.
Government Regulations
Local, state and federal governments have adopted laws and
regulations involving various aspects of the restaurant business
including, but not limited to, advertising, franchising, health, safety,
environment, zoning, employment and taxes. The Company
strives to comply with all applicable existing statutory and
administrative rules and cannot predict the effect on its operations
from the issuance of additional requirements in the future.
ITEM 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
8 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
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McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
The following are the Executive Officers of our
Company (as of the date of this filing or March 1, 2015,
as indicated):
Michael D. Andres, 57, is President, McDonald’s USA, a
position he has held since October 2014. Mr. Andres returned to
the Company in September 2014 after serving as President, Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of LRI Holdings, Inc., the parent
company of Logan’s Roadhouse, Inc., since February 2013. From
February 2010 to September 2012, Mr. Andres served as Central
Division President of McDonald’s USA. Prior to that time, Mr.
Andres served as the U.S. Vice President - General Manager of
McDonald’s USA’s Pacific Sierra Region from August 2007 to
February 2010. Except for the period he was with Logan’s
Roadhouse, Mr. Andres has served the Company for 30 years.
Jose Armario, 55, is Corporate Executive Vice President—
Global Supply Chain, Development, Franchising and
Sustainability, a position he has held since October 2011. He
previously served as Group President, McDonald’s Canada and
Latin America from February 2008 through September 2011.
Mr. Armario has been with the Company for 18 years.
Peter J. Bensen, 52, was promoted, effective March 1, 2015,
to the newly-created role of Chief Administrative Officer. Mr.
Bensen is currently the Corporate Senior Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held since May
2014. Prior to that time, he served as Corporate Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer from January 2008 through
April 2014. Mr. Bensen has been with the Company for 18 years.
Stephen J. Easterbrook, 47, was promoted, effective March 1,
2015, to President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Easterbrook
was also elected a Director effective March 1, 2015. Mr.
Easterbrook is currently the Corporate Senior Executive Vice
President and Global Chief Brand Officer, a position he has held
since May 2014. Mr. Easterbrook served as Corporate Executive
Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer from June 2013
through April 2014. From September 2012 through May 2013, Mr.
Easterbrook served as the Chief Executive Officer of Wagamama
Limited and from September 2011 to September 2012, he served
as the the Chief Executive Officer of PizzaExpress Limited. Prior
to September 2011, Mr. Easterbrook served in a number of roles
with the Company. From December 2010 to September 2011, he
held the position of President, McDonald's Europe, and from
September 2010 to December 2010, he served as Corporate
Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer. Mr.
Easterbrook served as Chief Executive Officer and President,
McDonald's U.K. from April 2006 to September 2010 and was
given additional responsibility as President, Northern Division,
Europe from January 2007 to September 2010. Except for the
period he was with PizzaExpress and Wagamama, Mr.
Easterbrook has been with the Company for 21 years.
Richard Floersch, 57, is Corporate Executive Vice President
and Chief Human Resources Officer. Mr. Floersch joined the
Company in November 2003. He previously served as Senior Vice
President of Human Resources for Kraft Foods from 1998 through
2003. Mr. Floersch has been with the Company for 11 years.
Douglas M. Goare, 62, is President, McDonald’s Europe, a
position he has held since October 2011. From February 2011
through September 2011, he served as Corporate Executive Vice
President of Supply Chain and Development. From June 2007
through November 2010, he held the position of Corporate Senior
Vice President of Supply Chain. In addition to this role, Mr. Goare
assumed responsibility for Development in December 2010 and
served as Corporate Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and
Development through January 2011. Mr. Goare has been with the
Company for 36 years.
David L. Hoffmann, 47, is President of Asia/Pacific, Middle
East and Africa, a position he has held since July 2012. From
January 2012 through June 2012, he held the position of Senior
Vice President and Restaurant Support Officer for Asia/Pacific,
Middle East and Africa. Prior to that time, he held the position of
Vice President of Strategy, Insights and Development for Asia/
Pacific, Middle East and Africa from May 2011 through December
2011. From November 2008 through April 2011, he held the
position of Executive Vice President of McDonald's Japan. Mr.
Hoffmann has been with the Company for 18 years.
Kenneth M. Koziol, 55, will retire, effective March 1, 2015, as
Corporate Executive Vice President—Chief Restaurant Officer, a
position he has held since February 2013. From July 2006 through
January 2013, he held the position of Corporate Senior Vice
President—Innovation. Mr. Koziol has been with the Company for
26 years.
Brian Mullens, 43, was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice
President and Corporate Controller, effective March 1, 2015. Mr.
Mullens currently serves as Corporate Vice President-Finance, a
position he has held since September 2014. He served as
Corporate Vice President and Assistant Controller from December
2012 to September 2014. Prior to that time, Mr. Mullens served as
Chief Financial Officer of McDonald's U.K. and Northern Division,
Europe from December 2007 to November 2012. Mr. Mullens has
been with the Company for 18 years.
Kevin M. Ozan, 51, was promoted, effective March 1, 2015, to
Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Ozan is currently the Corporate Senior Vice President–
Controller, a position he has held since February 2008. From
May 2007 through January 2008, he served as Corporate Vice
President—Assistant Controller. Mr. Ozan has been with the
Company for 17 years.
Gloria Santona, 64, is Corporate Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary, a position she has held since
July 2003. Ms. Santona has been with the Company for 37 years.
Jim Sappington, 56, was promoted, effective March 1, 2015,
to Corporate Executive Vice President-Operations and Technology
Systems. Mr. Sappington currently serves as Corporate Senior
Vice President-Chief Information Officer, a position he has held
since January 2013. He served as U.S. Vice President - General
Manager for the Northwest Region from September 2010 to
December 2012. Prior to that time, Mr. Sappington served as U.S.
Vice President in the Accelerated Operation Program from
October 2008 to September 2010. Mr. Sappington has been with
the Company for 27 years.
Donald Thompson, 51, will retire, effective March 1, 2015, as
President and Chief Executive Officer, a position he has held since
July 2012. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer
from January 2010 through June 2012. Prior to that time, he
served as President, McDonald’s USA, from August 2006 to
January 2010. Mr. Thompson was elected a Director in January
2011 and will retire as a Director effective March 1, 2015.
Mr. Thompson has been with the Company for 24 years.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 9
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
9
PART II
ITEM 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities
MARKET INFORMATION AND DIVIDEND POLICY
The Company’s common stock trades under the symbol MCD and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange in the U.S. The following table
sets forth the common stock price ranges on the New York Stock Exchange and dividends declared per common share:
Dollars per share
Quarter:
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Year
High
Low
2014
Dividend
High
Low
Dividend
2013
99.07
103.78
101.36
97.50
103.78
92.22
96.52
90.53
87.62
87.62
0.81
0.81
1.66 *
3.28
99.78
103.70
101.81
99.27
103.70
89.25
95.16
94.01
93.14
89.25
0.77
0.77
1.58 *
3.12
*
Includes a $0.81 and $0.77 per share dividend declared and paid in third quarter of 2014 and 2013, respectively, and a $0.85 and $0.81 per share dividend
declared in third quarter and paid in fourth quarter of 2014 and 2013, respectively.
The number of shareholders of record and beneficial owners of the Company’s common stock as of January 31, 2015 was estimated to
be 1,663,000.
Given the Company’s returns on equity, incremental invested capital and assets, management believes it is prudent to reinvest in the
business in markets with acceptable returns and/or opportunity for long-term growth and use excess cash flow to return cash to
shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. The Company has paid dividends on common stock for 39 consecutive years
through 2014 and has increased the dividend amount at least once every year. As in the past, future dividend amounts will be considered
after reviewing profitability expectations and financing needs, and will be declared at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The following table presents information related to repurchases of common stock the Company made during the quarter ended
December 31, 2014*:
Period
October 1-31, 2014
November 1-30, 2014
December 1-31, 2014
Total
Total Number of
Shares Purchased
Average Price
Paid per Share
6,096,686
2,564,943
2,234,301
10,895,930
92.02
95.75
92.62
93.02
Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs(1)
6,096,686
2,564,943
2,234,301
10,895,930
Approximate Dollar
Value of Shares
that May Yet
Be Purchased Under
the Plans or Programs(1)
$ 8,520,241,086
8,274,656,471
8,067,726,045
*
Subject to applicable law, the Company may repurchase shares directly in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or pursuant to derivative
instruments and plans complying with Rule 10b5-1, among other types of transactions and arrangements.
(1) On May 21, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program, effective July 1, 2014, that authorizes the purchase of up to
$10 billion of the Company's outstanding common stock with no specified expiration date.
10 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
10 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
ITEM 6. Selected Financial Data
6-Year Summary
Dollars in millions, except per share data
Company-operated sales
Franchised revenues
Total revenues
Operating income
Net income
Cash provided by operations
Cash used for investing activities
Capital expenditures
Cash used for financing activities
Treasury stock purchases(1)
Common stock cash dividends
Financial position at year end:
Total assets
Total debt
Total shareholders’ equity
Shares outstanding in millions
Per common share:
Earnings-diluted
Dividends declared
Market price at year end
Company-operated restaurants
Franchised restaurants
Total Systemwide restaurants
Franchised sales(2)
2014
$18,169
$ 9,272
$27,441
$ 7,949
$ 4,758
$ 6,730
$ 2,305
$ 2,583
$ 4,618
$ 3,175
$ 3,216
$34,281
$14,990
$12,853
963
4.82
$
$
3.28
$ 93.70
6,714
29,544
36,258
$69,617
2013
18,875
9,231
28,106
8,764
5,586
7,121
2,674
2,825
4,043
1,810
3,115
36,626
14,130
16,010
990
5.55
3.12
97.03
6,738
28,691
35,429
70,251
2012
18,603
8,964
27,567
8,605
5,465
6,966
3,167
3,049
3,850
2,605
2,897
35,386
13,633
15,294
1,003
5.36
2.87
88.21
6,598
27,882
34,480
69,687
2011
18,293
8,713
27,006
8,530
5,503
7,150
2,571
2,730
4,533
3,373
2,610
32,990
12,500
14,390
1,021
5.27
2.53
100.33
6,435
27,075
33,510
67,648
2009
2010
15,459
16,233
7,286
7,842
22,745
24,075
6,841
7,473
4,946
4,551
6,342 5,751
2,056 1,655
2,135 1,952
3,729 4,421
2,648 2,854
2,408 2,235
31,975 30,225
11,505 10,578
14,634 14,034
1,054 1,077
4.58
2.26
76.76
6,399
26,338
32,737
61,147
4.11
2.05
62.44
6,262
26,216
32,478
56,928
(1) Represents treasury stock purchases as reflected in Shareholders' equity.
(2) While franchised sales are not recorded as revenues by the Company, management believes they are important in understanding the Company's financial
performance because these sales are the basis on which the Company calculates and records franchised revenues and are indicative of the financial health of the
franchisee base. Franchised restaurants represent more than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 11
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
11
ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS
The Company franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants.
Of the 36,258 restaurants in 119 countries at year-end 2014,
29,544 were franchised (including 20,774 franchised to
conventional franchisees, 5,228 licensed to developmental
licensees and 3,542 licensed to foreign affiliates ("affiliates")—
primarily Japan) and 6,714 were operated by the Company.
Under our conventional franchise arrangement, franchisees
provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the
equipment, signs, seating and décor of their restaurant business,
and by reinvesting in the business over time. The Company owns
the land and building or secures long-term leases for both
Company-operated and conventional franchised restaurant sites.
This maintains long-term occupancy rights, helps control related
costs and assists in alignment with franchisees enabling
restaurant performance levels that are among the highest in the
industry. In certain circumstances, the Company participates in
reinvestment for conventional franchised restaurants in an effort to
accelerate implementation of certain initiatives.
Under our developmental license arrangement, licensees
provide capital for the entire business, including the real estate
interest, and the Company has no capital invested. In addition, the
Company has an equity investment in a limited number of affiliates
that invest in real estate and operate or franchise restaurants
within a market.
We view ourselves primarily as a franchisor and believe
franchising is paramount to both delivering great, locally-relevant
customer experiences and driving profitability. Franchising enables
an individual to own a restaurant business and maintain control
over personnel, purchasing, marketing and pricing decisions, while
also benefiting from the financial strength and global experience of
McDonald's. However, directly operating restaurants is important
to being a credible franchisor and is essential to providing
Company personnel with restaurant operations experience. In our
Company-operated restaurants, and in collaboration with
franchisees, we further develop and refine operating standards,
marketing concepts and product and pricing strategies, so that
only those that we believe are most beneficial are introduced in
the restaurants. We continually review, and as appropriate adjust,
our mix of Company-operated and franchised (conventional
franchised, developmental licensed and foreign affiliated)
restaurants to help optimize overall performance.
The Company’s revenues consist of sales by Company-
operated restaurants and fees from restaurants operated by
franchisees. Revenues from conventional franchised restaurants
include rent and royalties based on a percent of sales along with
minimum rent payments, and initial fees. Revenues from
restaurants licensed to affiliates and developmental licensees
include a royalty based on a percent of sales, and generally
include initial fees. Fees vary by type of site, amount of Company
investment, if any, and local business conditions. These fees,
along with occupancy and operating rights, are stipulated in
franchise/license agreements that generally have 20-year terms.
The business is managed as distinct geographic segments.
Significant reportable segments include the United States ("U.S."),
Europe, and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa ("APMEA"). In
addition, throughout this report we present “Other Countries &
Corporate” that includes operations in Canada and Latin America,
as well as Corporate activities. The U.S., Europe and APMEA
segments account for 32%, 40% and 23% of total revenues,
respectively. The United Kingdom ("U.K."), France, Russia and
Germany, collectively, account for 68% of Europe’s revenues; and
12 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
12 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
China, Australia and Japan (a 50%-owned affiliate accounted for
under the equity method), collectively, account for 52% of
APMEA’s revenues. These seven markets along with the U.S. and
Canada are referred to as “major markets” throughout this report
and comprise 75% of total revenues.
In analyzing business trends, management reviews results on
a constant currency basis and considers a variety of performance
and financial measures, including comparable sales and
comparable guest count growth, Systemwide sales growth,
operating income growth and returns.
Constant currency results exclude the effects of foreign
currency translation and are calculated by translating current
year results at prior year average exchange rates.
Management reviews and analyzes business results in
constant currencies and bases most incentive compensation
plans on these results because we believe this better
represents the Company’s underlying business trends.
Comparable sales and comparable guest counts are key
performance indicators used within the retail industry and are
indicative of the impact of the Company’s initiatives as well
as local economic and consumer trends. Increases or
decreases in comparable sales and comparable guest
counts represent the percent change in sales and
transactions, respectively, from the same period in the prior
year for all restaurants, whether operated by the Company or
franchisees, in operation at least thirteen months, including
those temporarily closed. Some of the reasons restaurants
may be temporarily closed include reimaging or remodeling,
rebuilding, road construction and natural disasters.
Comparable sales exclude the impact of currency translation.
Comparable sales are driven by changes in guest counts and
average check, which is affected by changes in pricing and
product mix. Typically, pricing has a greater impact on
average check than product mix. The goal is to achieve a
relatively balanced contribution from both guest counts and
average check.
McDonald’s reports on a calendar basis and therefore
the comparability of the same month, quarter and year with
the corresponding period of the prior year will be impacted by
the mix of days. The number of weekdays and weekend days
in a given timeframe can have a positive or negative impact
on comparable sales and guest counts. The Company refers
to these impacts as calendar shift/trading day adjustments. In
addition, the timing of holidays can impact comparable sales
and guest counts. These impacts vary geographically due to
consumer spending patterns and have a more pronounced
effect on monthly comparable sales and guest counts while
the annual impacts are typically minimal.
Systemwide sales include sales at all restaurants. While
franchised sales are not recorded as revenues by the
Company, management believes the information is important
in understanding the Company’s financial performance
because these sales are the basis on which the Company
calculates and records franchised revenues and are
indicative of the financial health of the franchisee base.
Return on incremental invested capital ("ROIIC") is a
measure reviewed by management over one-year and three-
year time periods to evaluate the overall profitability of the
business units, the effectiveness of capital deployed and the
future allocation of capital. The return is calculated by
dividing the change in operating income plus depreciation
and amortization (numerator) by the cash used for investing
activities (denominator), primarily capital expenditures. The
calculation uses a constant average foreign exchange rate
over the periods included in the calculation.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The strength of the alignment among the Company, its franchisees
and suppliers (collectively referred to as the "System") has been
key to McDonald's long-term success. By leveraging our System,
we are able to identify, implement and scale ideas that meet
customers' changing needs and preferences. In addition, our
business model enables McDonald's to consistently deliver locally-
relevant restaurant experiences to customers and be an integral
part of the communities we serve.
McDonald's customer-focused Plan to Win ("Plan") provides a
common framework that aligns our global business and allows for
local adaptation through an emphasis on the Plan's five pillars -
People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. In 2014, we
evolved our Plan framework, refocusing our planning and actions
on what matters most to our customers. The following four
strategic growth priorities support our global Plan:
Optimizing our menu so that we offer our customers more of
their favorite food and drinks;
Modernizing the customer experience so interactions with
the Brand are more memorable;
Broadening accessibility to deliver unparalleled convenience;
and
Taking meaningful actions to become an even more trusted
brand.
We believe that our strategic growth priorities align with our
customers' evolving needs and - combined with our competitive
advantages of convenience, scale, geographic diversification and
System alignment - will enhance our customers’ experience and
build shareholder value over the long-term.
To measure our performance as we strive to build the
business, we have the following long-term, average annual
constant currency financial targets:
Systemwide sales growth of 3% to 5%;
Operating income growth of 6% to 7%; and
ROIIC in the high teens.
In 2014, our results were disappointing as unforeseen events
and weak operating performance pressured results in each of our
geographic segments. Systemwide sales decreased 2%
(increased 1% in constant currencies), operating income
decreased 9% (8% in constant currencies), one-year ROIIC was
negative 21.9% and three-year ROIIC was 1.4% (see
reconciliation on page 27). Each metric fell below our long-term
financial targets, reflecting the impact of soft comparable sales
performance and cost pressures, negatively impacting all
segments. Given our heavily franchised business model, growing
comparable sales is vital to increasing the Company's operating
income and returns.
We experienced challenges growing sales and guest counts
in 2014, as comparable sales decreased 1.0%, reflecting negative
guest traffic in all segments. While some of the challenges were
anticipated, others were not, such as the impact of a supplier
issue in China, Japan and certain other markets (see explanation
under APMEA) and the volatile operating environment in Russia
and the Ukraine. Results were also impacted by under-
performance in key opportunity markets that are significant
contributors to consolidated results, most notably the U.S.
We anticipate many of these challenges will persist in 2015,
particularly in the first half of the year; however, we continue to
believe that our long-term financial targets remain achievable over
the long term, keeping us focused on making the best decisions
for the benefit of our shareholders and our System.
We are intensely focused on increasing customer relevance,
driving customer visits, and positioning the Company for future
growth. In 2014, we took a number of important steps to lay the
foundation for our turnaround. The following is a summary of our
sales performance and critical actions taken to advance our
longer-term strategies by major segment.
U.S.
In the U.S., comparable sales declined 2.1% and comparable
guest counts declined 4.1%. Guest visits were down as customer-
focused initiatives did not resonate strongly amid the increasingly
competitive marketplace and sluggish industry growth. To enhance
customer relevance and loyalty, the U.S. is focused on addressing
menu, service and value opportunities.
In 2014, we brought in new leadership to provide innovative
thinking and a fresh strategic perspective, and we announced
actions to create a flatter, more nimble U.S. organization that
places greater decision making and accountability closer to the
customer.
Menu strategies included a focus on continued growth at
breakfast, which remains our strongest daypart, and an ongoing
emphasis on core food and beverages. In addition, we executed
initiatives to build brand trust through strengthened marketing
efforts, including the launch of a national food quality campaign.
The U.S. focused on improving the service experience
through an increased emphasis on operations excellence and
investments made in establishing our digital platform, including
being the first in our industry to accept Apple Pay in the drive-thru.
We continued to invest in new and existing restaurants by opening
222 new restaurants and reimaging approximately 260 locations,
of which the majority added or enhanced drive-thru capacity.
Currently, about half of our restaurant interiors and exteriors reflect
our contemporary restaurant design.
We evolved our value platform to reposition entry-level
affordability for future growth by providing a means to transition
products to a higher price point when appropriate.
Europe
In Europe, comparable sales declined 0.6%, while comparable
guest counts declined 2.2%. Comparable sales reflected negative
performance in Germany and Russia, mostly offset by positive
performance in the UK. Low consumer confidence and other
external issues related to the operating environment in Russia and
Ukraine negatively impacted business performance.
In 2014, we pursued customer-focused initiatives to deliver
menu variety, a contemporary restaurant experience and value
enhancements. We further optimized our menu through premium
menu additions and expanded our McCafé platform with over
4,000 restaurants now serving blended ice beverages.
We remain committed to reinvesting in existing restaurants
through reimaging and technology initiatives to provide a relevant,
contemporary customer experience. Europe completed about 260
restaurant reimages during the year. By the end of 2014, nearly
100% of restaurant interiors and 85% of exteriors were
modernized. We continued to leverage technology, with over 2,000
self-order kiosks and mobile ordering and payment capability
available in certain markets.
We increased our accessibility and convenience through
daypart expansion, including breakfast and overnight, opening
approximately 320 new restaurants, and optimizing our drive-
thrus. As value is paramount to European customers, we
continued to evolve and emphasize value offerings at every price
tier.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 13
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
13
APMEA
In APMEA, comparable sales declined 3.3% and comparable
guest counts declined 4.7% due to negative performance in Japan
and China. This was slightly offset by positive results in Australia,
the first of our priority markets to demonstrate signs of recovery
due to strengthened marketing, re-emphasized value, menu
improvements and stronger franchisee alignment.
In mid-July, food quality issues were discovered at a supplier
to McDonald’s and other food companies in China, negatively
impacting results in China, Japan and certain other markets. We
moved quickly to source from alternative suppliers and initiated
aggressive recovery plans to restore consumer trust and
confidence. As a result of our efforts, sales trends in China are
showing signs of improvement. McDonald's Japan is not
recovering as quickly and has been working to overcome
significant challenges.
We continued to make progress in our reimaging program,
completing about 340 restaurant reimages during the year. By the
end of 2014, over 70% of restaurant interiors and over 60% of
exteriors were modernized.
We are committed to ongoing restaurant expansion, although
the pace of new openings was slowed in China in response to
local market dynamics. We opened 655 new restaurants, including
227 in China.
Global
Globally, we have been focused on strengthening the foundational
elements of our business, namely value across the menu,
marketing and operations excellence to deliver a better customer
experience while actively pursuing comprehensive initiatives to
capture the sizeable longer-term growth opportunities in our
industry.
Even in periods of softer performance, McDonald’s unique
business model and structure enable us to generate significant
cash flows. Cash from operations benefits from our heavily
franchised business model as the rent and royalty income we
receive from franchisees provides a stable revenue stream that
has relatively low costs and enables us to return significant cash
to shareholders. In addition, the franchise business model is less
capital intensive than the Company-owned model. We believe
locally-owned and operated restaurants are important to
McDonald's being not just a global brand, but also a locally-
relevant one.
In 2014, cash from operations totaled $6.7 billion. Our
substantial cash flow, strong credit rating and continued access to
credit provided us flexibility to invest in critical growth initiatives
while still returning significant amounts of cash to shareholders.
Capital expenditures of approximately $2.6 billion were invested in
our business, of which more than half was devoted to new
restaurant openings and the remainder was reinvested in our
existing restaurants. Across the System, 1,316 restaurants were
opened and about 930 existing locations were reimaged.
As part of our ongoing commitment to build long-term
shareholder value, in May 2014, the Company announced a 3-
year cash return target of $18 to $20 billion between 2014 and
2016 through a combination of dividends and share repurchases,
representing a 10% to 20% increase over the amount of cash
returned between 2011 and 2013. This target is based on several
activities including the significant free cash flow generated from
our operations, as well as the use of cash proceeds from our debt
additions and refranchising at least 1,500 restaurants over the
2014-2016 period (over 400 restaurants were refranchised in
2014), primarily in APMEA and Europe. In 2014, we returned
$6.4 billion to shareholders consisting of $3.2 billion in dividends
and $3.2 billion in share repurchases and remain on track to meet
our 3-year target.
14 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
14 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
RESULTS FOR THE YEAR:
Global comparable sales decreased 1.0%, reflecting a
decrease in all segments with the exception of Other
Countries & Corporate, while comparable guest counts
declined 3.6%, reflecting negative guest traffic in all
segments.
Consolidated revenues decreased 2% (flat in constant
currencies).
Consolidated operating income decreased 9% (8% in
constant currencies), primarily due to the impact of the
supplier issue in APMEA and weak operating performance in
the U.S.
The Company's effective tax rate was 35.5%, including an
increase in reserves related to certain foreign tax matters.
Diluted earnings per share was $4.82, a decrease of 13%
(11% in constant currencies). The following items, which total
$0.54 per share, negatively impacted diluted earnings per
share by 10% (10% in constant currencies) for the year:
*
*
$0.31 per share due to an increase in reserves
related to certain foreign tax matters; and
$0.23 per share due to the estimated impact of the
supplier issue resulting from lost sales and
profitability in APMEA.
Excluding the impact of these items, earnings per share for
the year would have been down 3% (1% in constant
currencies) compared to the prior year.
Cash provided by operations was $6.7 billion.
One-year ROIIC was negative 21.9% and three-year ROIIC
was 1.4% for the period ended December 31, 2014 (see
reconciliation on page 27), reflecting the impact of lower
operating income in 2014.
The Company increased the quarterly cash dividend per
share 5% to $0.85 for the fourth quarter, equivalent to an
annual dividend of $3.40 per share.
The Company returned $6.4 billion to shareholders through
dividends and share repurchases, in connection with our
$18-$20 billion, 3-year cash return target for the years
2014-2016.
OUTLOOK FOR 2015
McDonald's begins 2015 taking decisive action to drive
foundational improvements in our major markets and executing
our recovery efforts in markets affected by unforeseen events.
While we expect pressures on operating performance to
persist as we continue to face significant headwinds, particularly in
the first half of the year, sizable growth opportunities exist in the
$1.2 trillion global IEO segment. We are committed to pursuing
these opportunities by relentlessly focusing on the customer and
adapting to the changing marketplace through the following
initiatives.
We are redefining menu choice and personalization, exploring
solutions that will provide our guests a customizable restaurant
experience. We are also focused on enhancing the appeal of our
core products and addressing food perceptions by improving and
highlighting the quality of our ingredients and engaging with our
customers in more transparent dialogue.
Convenience continues to be a cornerstone of McDonald's
business, and we will evolve our value platform, strategically
evaluating pricing relationships across the entry level, core and
premium tiers. Service elements focus on hospitality and
additional ways to serve customers, such as self-order kiosks and
table service, and in-store pick up or in-car delivery in certain
markets. Our digital strategy is built around improving the
customer experience and customer engagement.
Collectively, these customer-focused initiatives represent the
Restaurant Experience of the Future and build upon investments
we have already made in reimaging and technology.
The Company is investing in these significant initiatives in a
disciplined manner, by partly redirecting G&A dollars from the U.S.
business and Corporate toward these long-term growth initiatives.
We will continue to invest in geographically diversified new
restaurant development and reimaging of our existing restaurants’
interiors and exteriors. Our 2015 capital expenditure plan of
approximately $2.0 billion - our lowest capital budget in more than
5 years - demonstrates financial discipline as we strategically
target fewer openings in our most challenged markets. We believe
this lower level of capital spending is prudent while we work to
regain our business momentum.
McDonald’s remains committed to growing our business
sustainably and making a positive difference in society by serving
good food through good people, and being a good neighbor in the
communities in which we operate.
U.S.
The U.S. begins 2015 with new leadership focused on a strategic
roadmap including a revamped marketing approach, greater
customization, localization and menu simplification. Our revamped
marketing approach includes a new national brand campaign
complemented by local advertising that is more responsive to
individual market preferences. We plan to execute initiatives that
are designed to address customer insights and the competitive
dynamics that are unique to each market. We are focused on
strengthening our menu pipeline by providing more choice and
customization, with plans to begin expanding the Create Your
Taste platform in 2015. Our menu initiatives also include plans to
enhance core products, particularly in the chicken and beef
categories. We are also refining our value proposition to offer the
right balance of value and choice and to create more logical
relationships across menu price tiers. We plan to open about 125
new restaurants and reimage approximately 100 existing
restaurants in 2015.
Europe
The segment's prolonged economic slowdown is expected to
continue to impact business performance in 2015. In addition, the
IEO landscape remains sluggish and highly competitive. Despite
these challenges, we are focusing on those areas within our
control to grow sales and traffic. Menu plans include balancing a
strong track record of successful promotions with an ongoing
focus on our iconic core favorites. We are pursuing opportunities
to grow the breakfast, overnight and family businesses. As value
remains paramount to customers in the current environment, we
are evolving value offerings and messaging, particularly in key
markets like Germany and France. We plan to leverage
investments in reimaging, integrated kitchen platforms and other
technology-enabled solutions to support the Restaurant
Experience of the Future. We are also pursuing refranchising
opportunities, new restaurant growth and expanded drive-thru
capabilities. We plan to open about 250 new restaurants and
reimage approximately 350 existing restaurants in 2015.
APMEA
In APMEA, our 2015 initiatives focus on menu variety, value
evolution and enhanced convenience. In addition, we are
aggressively executing multi-faceted brand recovery efforts in
China, Japan and certain other markets. Menu strategies include
leveraging core favorites, introducing new flavors particularly in
beverages and pursuing opportunities to accelerate the breakfast
daypart. Further, customization and personalization is a priority as
Australia will be a lead market to roll-out Create Your Taste across
the majority of its restaurants in 2015. We will focus on providing
customers unparalleled convenience by offering consistent and
relevant value options across the menu and expansion of brand
extensions, including kiosks, delivery and drive-thrus. Our efforts
around reimaging will continue as we expect to modernize
approximately 400 existing restaurants. Our plan is to open
around 550 new restaurants, with over 200 expected in China. In
addition, we will refranchise restaurants to both conventional
franchisees and developmental licensees.
Consolidated Outlook
In making capital allocation decisions, our goal is to prioritize our
spending on initiatives that elevate the McDonald's experience
and drive sustainable long-term growth in sales and market share.
We focus on markets that generate strong returns or have
opportunities for long-term growth.
While the Company does not provide specific guidance on
diluted earnings per share, the following information is provided to
assist in forecasting the Company's future results:
Changes in Systemwide sales are driven by comparable
sales and net restaurant unit expansion. The Company
expects net restaurant additions to add approximately 2
percentage points to 2015 Systemwide sales growth (in
constant currencies), most of which will be due to the 829 net
restaurants (981 net traditional openings less 152 net
satellite closings) added in 2014.
The Company does not generally provide specific guidance
on changes in comparable sales. However, as a perspective,
assuming no change in cost structure, a 1 percentage point
change in comparable sales for either the U.S. or Europe
would change annual diluted earnings per share by about 4
cents.
With about 75% of McDonald's grocery bill comprised of 10
different commodities, a basket of goods approach is the
most comprehensive way to look at the Company's
commodity costs. For the full year 2015, the total basket of
goods cost is expected to increase 1.5-2.5% in the U.S. and
Europe.
The Company expects full-year 2015 selling, general and
administrative expenses to increase approximately 7%-8% in
constant currencies, primarily due to higher incentive-based
compensation reflecting the impact of below target
performance in 2014. Excluding the incremental incentive-
based compensation, selling, general and administrative
expenses would increase approximately 1%-2%, due to
costs associated with expansion of the Restaurant
Experience of the Future global initiatives, including our
digital strategy. Fluctuations between quarters may occur.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 15
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
15
Based on current interest and foreign currency exchange
rates, the Company expects interest expense for the full-year
2015 to increase slightly compared with 2014.
A significant part of the Company's operating income is
generated outside the U.S., and about 40% of its total debt is
denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly, earnings are
affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates,
particularly the Euro, British Pound, Australian Dollar and
Canadian Dollar. Collectively, these currencies represent
approximately 70% of the Company's operating income
outside the U.S. If all four of these currencies moved by 10%
in the same direction, the Company's annual diluted earnings
per share would change by about 25 cents.
The Company expects the effective income tax rate for the
full-year 2015 to be 31% to 33%. Some volatility may be
experienced between the quarters resulting in a quarterly tax
rate that is outside the annual range.
The Company expects capital expenditures for 2015 to be
approximately $2.0 billion. About half of this amount will be
used to open new restaurants. The Company expects to
open more than 1,000 restaurants including about 450
restaurants in affiliated and developmental licensee markets
where the Company does not fund any capital expenditures.
The Company expects net additions of between 600-700
restaurants. The remaining capital will be used to reinvest in
existing locations.
The Company has established a 3-year cash return target of
$18-$20 billion for 2014 to 2016. This target is based on
several ongoing factors, including the significant free cash
flow generated from our operations, as well as the use of
cash proceeds from debt additions and refranchising of at
least 1,500 restaurants.
16 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
16 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Consolidated Operating Results
Operating results
Dollars and shares in millions, except per share data
Revenues
Sales by Company-operated restaurants
Revenues from franchised restaurants
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses
Company-operated restaurant expenses
Franchised restaurants-occupancy expenses
Selling, general & administrative expenses
Other operating (income) expense, net
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating income
Interest expense
Nonoperating (income) expense, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Earnings per common share—diluted
Weighted-average common shares outstanding—
diluted
n/m Not meaningful
2014
Increase/
(decrease)
(4%)
0
(2)
(2)
4
4
n/m
1
(9)
9
(82)
(10)
0
(15%)
(13%)
(2%)
Amount
$18,169
9,272
27,441
15,288
1,697
2,488
19
19,492
7,949
570
7
7,372
2,614
$ 4,758
4.82
$
986.3
Amount
$18,875
9,231
28,106
15,579
1,624
2,386
(247)
19,342
8,764
522
38
8,204
2,618
$ 5,586
5.55
$
1,006.0
2013
Increase/
(decrease)
1%
3
2
2
6
(3)
(2)
2
2
1
n/m
2
0
2%
4%
2012
Amount
$18,603
8,964
27,567
15,224
1,527
2,455
(244)
18,962
8,605
517
9
8,079
2,614
$ 5,465
5.36
$
(1%)
1,020.2
IMPACT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION ON REPORTED RESULTS
While changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect reported results, McDonald’s mitigates exposures, where practical, by purchasing
goods and services in local currencies, financing in local currencies and hedging certain foreign-denominated cash flows.
In 2014, foreign currency translation had a negative impact on consolidated operating results due to the weaker Russian Ruble,
Australian Dollar and certain other currencies, partly offset by the stronger British Pound. In 2013, foreign currency translation had a
negative impact on consolidated operating results due to the weaker Australian Dollar, Japanese Yen and many other foreign currencies,
partly offset by the stronger Euro. In 2012, foreign currency translation had a negative impact on consolidated operating results primarily
due to the weaker Euro, along with most other currencies.
Impact of foreign currency translation on reported results
In millions, except per share data
Revenues
Company-operated margins
Franchised margins
Selling, general & administrative expenses
Operating income
Net income
Earnings per common share—diluted
2014
$ 27,441
2,881
7,575
2,488
7,949
4,758
4.82
Reported amount
2013
$ 28,106
3,296
7,607
2,386
8,764
5,586
5.55
2012
$ 27,567
3,379
7,437
2,455
8,605
5,465
5.36
Currency translation
benefit/(cost)
2012
$ (726)
(97)
(204)
40
(261)
(178)
(0.17)
2013
$ (29)
(7)
(43)
(5)
(66)
(52)
(0.05)
2014
$ (570)
(60)
(119)
21
(152)
(114)
(0.12)
NET INCOME AND DILUTED EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE
In 2014, net income decreased 15% (13% in constant currencies)
to $4.8 billion and diluted earnings per common share decreased
13% (11% in constant currencies) to $4.82. Foreign currency
translation had a negative impact of $0.12 on diluted earnings per
share.
The following items, which total $0.54 per share, negatively
impacted diluted earnings per share by 10% (10% in constant
currencies) in 2014:
•
$0.31 per share due to an increase in tax reserves for
2003-2010 resulting from an unfavorable lower tax court
ruling in a foreign tax jurisdiction, as well as an increase
in tax reserves related to audit progression in other
foreign tax jurisdictions.
•
$0.23 per share due to the estimated impact of the
previously-disclosed supplier issue in China. In mid-July,
food quality issues were discovered at a supplier to
McDonald's and other food companies in China. As a
consequence, results in China, Japan and certain other
markets were negatively impacted due to lost sales and
profitability, including expenses associated with customer
recovery efforts.
Excluding the impact of these items, diluted earnings per
share would have been down 3% (1% in constant currencies)
compared to 2013. This supplemental information is provided to
assist investors in understanding the impact of recent events on
the Company's results.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 17
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
17
In 2013, net income increased 2% (3% in constant
The Company repurchased 33.1 million shares of its stock for
currencies) to $5.6 billion and diluted earnings per common share
increased 4% (4% in constant currencies) to $5.55. Foreign
currency translation had a negative impact of $0.05 on diluted
earnings per share. Net income and diluted earnings per share
growth in constant currencies were positively impacted by higher
franchised margin dollars, and to a lesser extent, lower selling,
general and administrative expenses. This was partly offset by
lower Company-operated margin dollars.
$3.2 billion in 2014 and 18.7 million shares of its stock for $1.8
billion in 2013, driving reductions in weighted-average shares
outstanding on a diluted basis in both periods, which positively
benefited earnings per share.
REVENUES
The Company’s revenues consist of sales by Company-operated restaurants and fees from restaurants operated by franchisees. Revenues
from conventional franchised restaurants include rent and royalties based on a percent of sales, minimum rent payments and initial fees.
Revenues from franchised restaurants that are licensed to foreign affiliates and developmental licensees include a royalty based on a
percent of sales, and generally include initial fees.
In 2014, constant currency revenue was flat compared to the prior year, reflecting the impact of negative comparable sales, partially
offset by expansion. In 2013, constant currency revenue growth was due to expansion. Weak comparable sales reflected a muted response
to customer-facing initiatives amid a highly competitive and sluggish IEO segment across many markets.
Revenues
Dollars in millions
Company-operated sales:
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Franchised revenues:
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Total revenues:
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Amount
Increase/(decrease)
Increase/(decrease)
excluding currency
translation
2014
2013
2012
2014
2013
2014
2013
$ 4,351
7,808
5,270
740
$18,169
$ 4,300
3,270
1,054
648
$ 9,272
$ 8,651
11,078
6,324
1,388
$27,441
$ 4,512
8,138
5,425
800
$18,875
$ 4,339
3,162
1,052
678
$ 9,231
$ 8,851
11,300
6,477
1,478
$28,106
$ 4,530
7,850
5,350
873
$18,603
$ 4,284
2,977
1,041
662
$ 8,964
$ 8,814
10,827
6,391
1,535
$27,567
(4%)
(4)
(3)
(7)
(4%)
(1%)
3
0
(4)
0%
(2%)
(2)
(2)
(6)
(2%)
0%
4
1
(8)
1%
1%
6
1
2
3%
0%
4
1
(4)
2%
(4%)
0
(2)
(1)
(1%)
(1%)
3
5
9
2%
(2%)
1
(1)
4
0%
0%
3
2
(6)
1%
1%
4
8
8
3%
0%
3
3
0
2%
In APMEA, the constant currency decrease in 2014 was
driven by negative comparable sales primarily due to the impact of
the supplier issue in China and Japan. Results benefited from
expansion, partly offset by refranchising in Australia. The constant
currency increase in revenues in 2013 was driven by expansion in
China and other markets, partly offset by negative comparable
sales, primarily in China.
In the U.S., revenues decreased in 2014 due to negative
comparable sales, reflecting negative comparable guest counts
amid ongoing broad-based challenges, including sustained
competitive activity. Revenues were relatively flat in 2013 as the
positive impact of expansion was offset by negative comparable
sales.
Europe's constant currency increase in 2014 reflected a
benefit from expansion, primarily in Russia, and positive
comparable sales in the U.K, mostly offset by negative
comparable sales in Russia and Germany, and refranchising in
Germany. The 2013 increase in revenues benefited from
expansion, primarily in Russia, and positive comparable sales
performance in the U.K. and Russia, the segment's two largest
Company-operated restaurant markets, partly offset by negative
results in Germany.
18 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
18 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
The following tables present comparable sales, comparable guest counts and Systemwide sales increases/(decreases):
Comparable sales and guest count increases/(decreases)
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
2014
Guest
Counts
(4.1%)
(2.2)
(4.7)
(1.5)
(3.6%)
Sales
(2.1%)
(0.6)
(3.3)
6.6
(1.0%)
2013
Guest
Counts
(1.6%)
(1.5)
(3.8)
0.4
(1.9%)
2012
Guest
Counts
1.9%
(0.5)
2.2
3.0
1.6%
Sales
3.3%
2.4
1.4
7.7
3.1%
Sales
(0.2%)
0.0
(1.9)
7.0
0.2%
In 2014, comparable guest count performance declined 3.6%. In Europe, Germany and Russia had the most significant impact on the
comparable guest count decline. In APMEA, Japan and China accounted for most of the decline in comparable guest count performance,
including the impact of the supplier issue. In 2013, comparable guest count performance declined 1.9%. Germany was the main contributor
to the decline in Europe and Japan accounted for half of the decline in APMEA.
Systemwide sales increases/(decreases)
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Excluding currency
translation
2014
(1%)
1
(3)
(7)
(2%)
2013
1%
5
(5)
3
1%
2014
(1%)
2
1
10
1%
2013
1%
3
3
10
3%
Franchised sales are not recorded as revenues by the Company, but are the basis on which the Company calculates and records
franchised revenues and are indicative of the financial health of the franchisee base. The following table presents franchised sales and the
related increases/(decreases):
Franchised sales
Dollars in millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
RESTAURANT MARGINS
Franchised margins
Franchised margin dollars represent revenues from franchised
restaurants less the Company’s occupancy costs (rent and
depreciation) associated with those sites. Franchised margin
dollars represented about 70% of the combined restaurant
margins in 2014, 2013 and 2012. Franchised margin dollars
decreased $32 million or 0% (increased 1% in constant
currencies) in 2014, reflecting a benefit from expansion and
refranchising, offset by negative comparable sales performance. In
2013, franchised margin dollars increased $170 million or 2% (3%
in constant currencies) primarily due to expansion.
2014
$31,096
18,376
12,309
7,836
$69,617
2013
$31,344
17,737
12,759
8,411
$70,251
Amount
2012
$31,063
16,857
13,723
8,044
$69,687
Increase/(decrease)
Increase/(decrease)
excluding currency
translation
2014
(1%)
4
(4)
(7)
(1%)
2013
1%
5
(7)
5
1%
2014
(1%)
3
2
11
2%
2013
1%
3
4
12
3%
Franchised margins
In millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Percent of revenues
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
2014
$ 3,572
2,546
902
555
$ 7,575
2013
$ 3,626
2,475
923
583
$ 7,607
2012
$ 3,594
2,352
924
567
$ 7,437
83.1%
77.9
85.6
85.5
81.7%
83.6%
78.3
87.7
86.0
82.4%
83.9%
79.0
88.8
85.6
83.0%
In the U.S., the franchised margin percent decreased in 2014
primarily due to negative comparable sales and higher occupancy
costs. The decrease in 2013 was due to higher depreciation
related to reimaging and weak comparable sales.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 19
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
19
In Europe, the franchised margin percent decreased in 2014
Company-operated margins
primarily due to the impact of refranchising and negative
comparable sales. The decrease in 2013 was due to higher rent
expense in many markets and weak comparable sales primarily
due to Germany.
In APMEA, the franchised margin percent decreased in 2014
partly due to the negative impact of the supplier issue in Japan,
which reduced Japan's favorable contribution to the segment's
margin percent. In addition, higher occupancy costs and
refranchising negatively impacted the margin percent. The
decrease in 2013 was partly due to Japan's negative sales
performance and the impact of the weaker Yen. In addition, the
segment was negatively impacted by a decline in Australia's
results.
In connection with our 2014-2016 cash return target, we plan
to refranchise at least 1,500 restaurants by selling company-
operated restaurants to conventional franchisees and
developmental licensees. While this refranchising activity may
have a dilutive effect on the franchised margin percent, it results in
higher franchised margin dollars.
In addition, the franchised margin percent in APMEA and
Other Countries & Corporate is higher relative to the U.S. and
Europe due to a larger proportion of developmental licensed and/
or affiliated restaurants where the Company receives royalty
income with no corresponding occupancy costs.
Company-operated margins
Company-operated margin dollars represent sales by Company-
operated restaurants less the operating costs of these restaurants.
Company-operated margin dollars decreased $415 million or 13%
(11% in constant currencies) in 2014, reflecting weak results
across all segments. In 2013, Company-operated margin dollars
decreased $83 million or 2% (2% in constant currencies),
reflecting weak comparable sales in many markets, which
impacted our ability to overcome cost pressures.
In millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
Percent of sales
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
2014
$ 756
1,423
585
117
$ 2,881
2013
$ 830
1,566
771
129
$ 3,296
2012
$ 883
1,501
849
146
$ 3,379
17.4%
18.2
11.1
15.8
15.9%
18.4%
19.2
14.2
16.0
17.5%
19.5%
19.1
15.9
16.8
18.2%
In the U.S., the Company-operated margin percent decreased
in 2014 due to the impact of negative comparable guest counts
and higher commodity and labor costs, partly offset by a higher
average check. The margin percent decreased in 2013 primarily
due to higher labor, commodity costs and other operating costs.
Europe’s Company-operated margin percent decreased in
2014 reflecting weaker results in Russia and Ukraine, as a
challenging operating environment negatively impacted
comparable sales performance and weaker currencies impacted
imported commodity costs. The margin percent increased in 2013
due to the positive impact of sales performance in Russia, the
U.K. and France, mostly offset by higher commodity and
occupancy costs.
In APMEA, the Company-operated margin percent decreased
in 2014 primarily due to the negative impact of the supplier issue
in China and certain other markets. The margin percent decreased
in 2013 primarily due to higher labor, occupancy and other costs,
and negative comparable guest counts, partly offset by a higher
average check.
SELLING, GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses increased 4% (5% in constant currencies) in 2014 and decreased 3% (3% in
constant currencies) in 2013. The increase in 2014 was primarily due to higher employee and other costs, the 2014 Winter Olympics and
the Worldwide Owner/Operator Convention, partly offset by a reduction in incentive-based compensation. The decrease in 2013 was due to
lower incentive-based compensation, partly offset by higher employee costs. In addition, 2013 benefited from the comparison to costs in
2012 related to the London Olympics and the Worldwide Owner/Operator Convention.
Selling, general & administrative expenses
Dollars in millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate(1)
Total
2014
$ 772
741
387
588
$ 2,488
2013
$ 740
703
355
588
$ 2,386
Amount
2012
$ 782
695
353
625
$ 2,455
Increase/(decrease)
2014
4%
5
9
0
4%
2013
(5%)
1
1
(6)
(3%)
Increase/(decrease)
excluding currency
translation
2013
(5%)
0
1
(6)
(3%)
2014
4%
6
11
1
5%
(1)
Included in Other Countries & Corporate are home office support costs in areas such as facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, legal,
marketing, restaurant operations, supply chain and training.
Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of revenues was 9.1% in 2014, 8.5% in 2013 and 8.9% in 2012. Selling,
general and administrative expenses as a percent of Systemwide sales was 2.8% in 2014, 2.7% in 2013 and 2.8% in 2012. Management
believes that analyzing selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of Systemwide sales, as well as revenues, is meaningful
because these costs are incurred to support the overall McDonald's business.
20 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
20 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
OTHER OPERATING (INCOME) EXPENSE, NET
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates
Other operating (income) expense, net
In millions
Gains on sales of restaurant
businesses
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated
affiliates
Asset dispositions and other expense
Total
2014
2013
2012
$ (137) $ (199) $ (152)
9
147
$ 19
(78)
30
(144)
52
$ (247) $ (244)
Gains on sales of restaurant businesses
The Company’s purchases and sales of businesses with its
franchisees are aimed at achieving an optimal ownership mix in
each market. Resulting gains or losses on sales of restaurant
businesses are recorded in operating income because these
transactions are a recurring part of our business. Gains on sales
of restaurant businesses decreased in 2014 primarily in Australia,
China and the U.S. The increase in 2013 was due primarily to
more stores sold in Australia compared to 2012.
Unconsolidated affiliates and partnerships are businesses in which
the Company actively participates, but does not control. The
Company records equity in earnings from these entities
representing McDonald’s share of results. For foreign affiliated
markets—primarily Japan—results are reported after interest
expense and income taxes. McDonald’s share of results for
partnerships in certain consolidated markets is reported before
income taxes. These partnership restaurants are operated under
conventional franchise arrangements and, therefore, are classified
as conventional franchised restaurants. Equity in earnings of
unconsolidated affiliates decreased in 2014 and 2013 due to
weaker operating results, primarily in Japan. In 2014, Japan's
performance was negatively impacted by the supplier issue.
Asset dispositions and other expense
Asset dispositions and other expense consists of gains or losses
on excess property and other asset dispositions, provisions for
restaurant closings and uncollectible receivables, asset write-offs
due to restaurant reinvestment, and other miscellaneous income
and expenses. Asset dispositions and other expense increased in
2014 primarily due to higher asset write-offs and lower other
income items in the U.S., and charges related to the supplier issue
in China. The decrease in 2013 was due to the favorable
resolution of certain liabilities and lower asset retirements, partly
offset by lower gains on property sales and unconsolidated
partnership dissolutions.
OPERATING INCOME
Operating income
Dollars in millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
2014
$3,523
3,280
1,066
80
$7,949
2013
$3,779
3,371
1,480
134
$8,764
Amount
2012
$3,751
3,196
1,566
92
$8,605
Increase/(decrease)
2014
2013
(7%)
(3)
(28)
(40)
(9%)
1%
5
(6)
46
2%
Increase/(decrease)
excluding currency
translation
2013
2014
(7%)
(2)
(25)
24
(8%)
1%
4
0
86
3%
In the U.S., results for 2014 decreased due to lower restaurant
margin dollars, lower other operating income and higher selling,
general and administrative expenses. Results for 2013 increased
due to lower selling, general and administrative expenses and
higher franchised margin dollars, partly offset by lower Company-
operated margin dollars.
In Europe, results for 2014 decreased primarily due to lower
Company-operated margin dollars in Russia and Ukraine, partly
offset by higher franchised margin dollars. The year was also
negatively impacted by selling, general and administrative
expenses associated with the 2014 Winter Olympics. Results for
2013 were driven by higher franchised and Company-operated
margin dollars.
In APMEA, results for 2014 decreased primarily due to the
supplier issue impacting results in China, Japan and certain other
markets by an estimated $290 million. Results for 2013 reflected
higher franchised margin dollars, mostly offset by lower Company-
operated margin dollars.
Combined operating margin
Combined operating margin is defined as operating income as a
percent of total revenues. Combined operating margin was 29.0%
in 2014 and 31.2% in 2013 and 2012.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 21
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
21
Cash used for investing activities totaled $2.3 billion in 2014,
a decrease of $369 million compared with 2013. The decrease
primarily reflected lower capital expenditures, a decrease in other
investing activities related to short-term time deposits and higher
proceeds from sales of restaurant businesses. Cash used for
investing activities totaled $2.7 billion in 2013, a decrease of $493
million compared with 2012. The decrease primarily reflected
lower capital expenditures and a decrease in other investing
activities related to short-term time deposits.
Cash used for financing activities totaled $4.6 billion in 2014,
an increase of $575 million compared with 2013, primarily due to
higher treasury stock purchases, partly offset by an increase in net
borrowings. Cash used for financing activities totaled $4.0 billion in
2013, an increase of $193 million compared with 2012, primarily
due to lower net debt issuances and higher dividend payments,
partly offset by lower treasury stock purchases.
The Company’s cash and equivalents balance was $2.1
billion and $2.8 billion at year end 2014 and 2013, respectively. In
addition to cash and equivalents on hand and cash provided by
operations, the Company can meet short-term funding needs
through its continued access to commercial paper borrowings and
line of credit agreements.
RESTAURANT DEVELOPMENT AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
In 2014, the Company opened 1,298 traditional restaurants and 18
satellite restaurants (small, limited-menu restaurants for which the
land and building are generally leased), and closed 317 traditional
restaurants and 170 satellite restaurants. In 2013, the Company
opened 1,393 traditional restaurants and 45 satellite restaurants
and closed 295 traditional restaurants and 194 satellite
restaurants. The majority of restaurant openings and closings
occurred in the major markets in both years. The Company closes
restaurants for a variety of reasons, such as existing sales and
profit performance or loss of real estate tenure.
Systemwide restaurants at year end(1)
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries & Corporate
Total
2014
14,350
7,855
10,345
3,708
36,258
2013
14,278
7,602
9,918
3,631
35,429
2012
14,157
7,368
9,454
3,501
34,480
(1)
Includes satellite units at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, as follows:
U.S.—919, 973, 997; Europe—273, 261, 246; APMEA (primarily Japan)—
641, 733, 871; Other Countries & Corporate—433, 451, 453.
Approximately 70% of Company-operated restaurants and
nearly 75% of franchised restaurants were located in the major
markets at the end of 2014. Over 80% of the restaurants at year-
end 2014 were franchised.
INTEREST EXPENSE
Interest expense increased 9% and 1% in 2014 and 2013,
respectively, primarily due to higher average debt balances. In
addition, interest expense in 2013 benefited from lower average
interest rates.
NONOPERATING (INCOME) EXPENSE, NET
Nonoperating (income) expense, net
In millions
Interest income
Foreign currency and hedging activity
Other expense
Total
2014
$ (20)
20
7
$ 7
2013
$ (15)
8
45
$ 38
2012
$ (28)
9
28
$ 9
Interest income consists primarily of interest earned on short-term
cash investments. Foreign currency and hedging activity includes
net gains or losses on certain hedges that reduce the exposure to
variability on certain intercompany foreign currency cash flow
streams.
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES
In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the reported effective income tax rates
were 35.5%, 31.9% and 32.4%, respectively.
In 2014, the higher effective income tax rate was primarily due
to a change in tax reserves for 2003-2010 resulting from an
unfavorable lower tax court ruling in a foreign tax jurisdiction, as
well as the impact of changes in tax reserves related to audit
progression in multiple foreign tax jurisdictions. Excluding these
items, the effective income tax rate would have been 31.4%.
In 2013, the effective income tax rate included a tax benefit of
nearly $50 million, reflecting the retroactive impact of certain tax
benefits as a result of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.
In 2012, the effective income tax rate reflected the negative
impact of certain tax benefits in the U.S. that had expired at
December 31, 2011 and were reinstated retroactively in 2013 as
noted above.
Consolidated net deferred tax liabilities included tax assets,
net of valuation allowance, of $1.6 billion in 2014 and $1.5 billion
in 2013. Substantially all of the net tax assets are expected to be
realized in the U.S. and other profitable markets.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARD
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued
guidance codified in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC")
606, "Revenue Recognition - Revenue from Contracts with
Customers," which amends the guidance in ASC 605, "Revenue
Recognition," and becomes effective beginning January 1, 2017.
The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions
of ASC 606.
Cash Flows
The Company generates significant cash from its operations and
has substantial credit availability and capacity to fund operating
and discretionary spending such as capital expenditures, debt
repayments, dividends and share repurchases.
Cash provided by operations totaled $6.7 billion and
exceeded capital expenditures by $4.1 billion in 2014, while cash
provided by operations totaled $7.1 billion and exceeded capital
expenditures by $4.3 billion in 2013. In 2014, cash provided by
operations decreased $390 million or 5% compared with 2013
primarily due to lower operating results, partly offset by lower
income tax payments. In 2013, cash provided by operations
increased $155 million or 2% compared with 2012 primarily due to
increased operating results.
22 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
22 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Capital expenditures decreased $242 million or 9% in 2014,
In July 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a
primarily due to lower reinvestment in existing restaurants. Capital
expenditures decreased $224 million or 7% in 2013, primarily due
to lower reinvestment in existing restaurants, partly offset by
higher investment in new restaurants. In both years, the lower
reinvestment primarily reflected fewer planned reimages.
Capital expenditures invested in major markets, excluding
Japan, represented over 70% of the total in 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Japan is accounted for under the equity method, and accordingly
its capital expenditures are not included in consolidated amounts.
Capital expenditures
In millions
New restaurants
Existing restaurants
Other(1)
Total capital expenditures
Total assets
2014
$ 1,435
1,044
104
$ 2,583
$34,281
2013
$ 1,473
1,244
108
$ 2,825
$36,626
2012
$ 1,340
1,615
94
$ 3,049
$35,386
(1) Primarily corporate equipment and other office-related expenditures.
New restaurant investments in all years were concentrated in
markets with strong returns or opportunities for long-term growth.
Average development costs vary widely by market depending on
the types of restaurants built and the real estate and construction
costs within each market. These costs, which include land,
buildings and equipment, are managed through the use of
optimally-sized restaurants, construction and design efficiencies,
and leveraging best practices. Although the Company is not
responsible for all costs for every restaurant opened, total
development costs (consisting of land, buildings and equipment)
for new traditional McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. averaged
approximately $3.2 million in 2014.
The Company owned approximately 45% of the land and
about 70% of the buildings for restaurants in its consolidated
markets at year-end 2014 and 2013.
SHARE REPURCHASES AND DIVIDENDS
For 2014 through 2016, the Company expects to return $18 to $20
billion to shareholders through a combination of share
repurchases and dividends, subject to business and market
conditions. In 2014, the Company returned approximately $6.4
billion to shareholders through a combination of dividends paid
and shares repurchased.
Shares repurchased and dividends
In millions, except per share data
Number of shares repurchased
Shares outstanding at year end
Dividends declared per share
2014
33.1
963
$ 3.28
2013
18.7
990
$ 3.12
2012
28.1
1,003
$ 2.87
Treasury stock purchases (in
Shareholders' equity)
Dividends paid
Total returned to shareholders
$ 3,175
3,216
$ 6,391
$1,810
3,115
$4,925
$2,605
2,897
$5,502
$10 billion share repurchase program with no specified expiration
date ("2012 Program"). In May 2014, the Company's Board of
Directors terminated the 2012 program and replaced it with a new
share repurchase program, effective July 1, 2014, that authorizes
the purchase of up to $10 billion of the Company's outstanding
common stock with no specified expiration date. In 2014,
approximately 33.1 million shares were repurchased for $3.2
billion, of which approximately 20.5 million shares or $1.9 billion
were repurchased under the new program.
The Company has paid dividends on its common stock for 39
consecutive years and has increased the dividend amount every
year. The 2014 full year dividend of $3.28 per share reflects the
quarterly dividend paid for each of the first three quarters of $0.81
per share, with an increase to $0.85 per share paid in the fourth
quarter. This 5% increase in the quarterly dividend equates to a
$3.40 per share annual dividend and reflects the Company’s
confidence in the ongoing strength and reliability of its cash flow.
As in the past, future dividend amounts will be considered after
reviewing profitability expectations and financing needs, and will
be declared at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Financial Position and Capital Resources
TOTAL ASSETS AND RETURNS
Total assets decreased $2.3 billion or 6% in 2014. Excluding the
effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, total assets
increased $578 million in 2014. Nearly 80% of total assets were in
major markets at year-end 2014. Net property and equipment
decreased $1.2 billion in 2014, primarily due to the impact of
foreign currency translation and depreciation, partly offset by
capital expenditures, and represented about 70% of total assets at
year end.
Operating income is used to compute return on average
assets, while net income is used to calculate return on average
common equity. Month-end balances are used to compute both
average assets and average common equity.
Returns on assets and equity
Return on average assets
Return on average common
equity
2014
21.8%
2013
24.8%
2012
25.4%
31.3
35.8
37.5
In 2014 and 2013, return on average assets and return on
average common equity decreased, reflecting lower operating
results. Operating income does not include interest income;
however, cash balances are included in average assets. The
inclusion of cash balances in average assets reduced return on
average assets by about two percentage points for all years
presented.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 23
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
23
FINANCING AND MARKET RISK
The Company generally borrows on a long-term basis and is
exposed to the impact of interest rate changes and foreign
currency fluctuations. Debt obligations at December 31, 2014
totaled $15.0 billion, compared with $14.1 billion at December 31,
2013. The net increase in 2014 was primarily due to net issuances
of $1.5 billion partly offset by changes in exchange rates on
foreign currency denominated debt of $663 million.
Debt highlights(1)
Fixed-rate debt as a percent of total
debt(2,3)
Weighted-average annual interest
rate of total debt(3)
Foreign currency-denominated debt
as a percent of total debt(2)
Total debt as a percent of total
capitalization (total debt and total
Shareholders' equity)(2)
Cash provided by operations as a
percent of total debt(2)
2014
2013
2012
74% 74% 74%
4.0
40
54
45
4.0
4.0
41
36
47
50
47
51
(1) All percentages are as of December 31, except for the weighted-average
annual interest rate, which is for the year.
(2) Based on debt obligations before the effect of fair value hedging
adjustments. This effect is excluded as these adjustments have no impact
on the obligation at maturity. See Debt financing note to the consolidated
financial statements.
(3)
Includes the effect of interest rate swaps.
Fitch, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s currently rate, with a
stable outlook, the Company’s commercial paper F1, A-1 and P-1,
respectively; and its long-term debt A, A and A2, respectively.
Certain of the Company’s debt obligations contain cross-
acceleration provisions and restrictions on Company and
subsidiary mortgages and the long-term debt of certain
subsidiaries. There are no provisions in the Company’s debt
obligations that would accelerate repayment of debt as a result of
a change in credit ratings or a material adverse change in the
Company’s business. Under existing authorization from the
Company’s Board of Directors, at December 31, 2014, the
Company had $4.5 billion of authority remaining to borrow funds,
including through (i) public or private offering of debt securities;
(ii) direct borrowing from banks or other financial institutions; and
(iii) other forms of indebtedness. In addition to debt securities
available through a medium-term notes program registered with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and a
Global Medium-Term Notes program, the Company has
$2.5 billion available under a committed line of credit agreement
as well as authority to issue commercial paper in the U.S. and
global markets (see Debt Financing note to the consolidated
financial statements). Debt maturing in 2015 is approximately
$1.1 billion of long-term corporate debt. In 2015, the Company
expects to issue commercial paper and long-term debt to
refinance this maturing debt. As of December 31, 2014, the
Company's subsidiaries also had $863 million of borrowings
outstanding, primarily under uncommitted foreign currency line of
credit agreements.
The Company uses major capital markets, bank financings
and derivatives to meet its financing requirements and reduce
interest expense. The Company manages its debt portfolio in
response to changes in interest rates and foreign currency rates
by periodically retiring, redeeming and repurchasing debt,
terminating swaps and using derivatives. The Company does not
hold or issue derivatives for trading purposes. All swaps are over-
the-counter instruments.
24 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
24 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
In managing the impact of interest rate changes and foreign
currency fluctuations, the Company uses interest rate swaps and
finances in the currencies in which assets are denominated. The
Company uses foreign currency debt and derivatives to hedge the
foreign currency risk associated with certain royalties,
intercompany financings and long-term investments in foreign
subsidiaries and affiliates. This reduces the impact of fluctuating
foreign currencies on cash flows and shareholders’ equity. Total
foreign currency-denominated debt was $5.9 billion and
$5.8 billion for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013,
respectively. In addition, where practical, the Company’s
restaurants purchase goods and services in local currencies
resulting in natural hedges. See the Summary of significant
accounting policies note to the consolidated financial statements
related to financial instruments and hedging activities for additional
information regarding the accounting impact and use of
derivatives.
The Company does not have significant exposure to any
individual counterparty and has master agreements that contain
netting arrangements. Certain of these agreements also require
each party to post collateral if credit ratings fall below, or
aggregate exposures exceed, certain contractual limits. At
December 31, 2014, neither the Company nor its counterparties
were required to post collateral on any derivative position, other
than on hedges of certain of the Company’s supplemental benefit
plan liabilities where our counterparty was required to post
collateral on its liability position.
The Company’s net asset exposure is diversified among a
broad basket of currencies. The Company’s largest net asset
exposures (defined as foreign currency assets less foreign
currency liabilities) at year end were as follows:
Foreign currency net asset exposures
In millions of U.S. Dollars
Euro
Australian Dollars
British Pounds Sterling
Canadian Dollars
Japanese Yen
2014
$ 4,949
2,038
1,460
1,231
640
2013
$ 7,302
1,933
1,479
1,412
390
The Company prepared sensitivity analyses of its financial
instruments to determine the impact of hypothetical changes in
interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates on the
Company’s results of operations, cash flows and the fair value of
its financial instruments. The interest rate analysis assumed a one
percentage point adverse change in interest rates on all financial
instruments, but did not consider the effects of the reduced level of
economic activity that could exist in such an environment. The
foreign currency rate analysis assumed that each foreign currency
rate would change by 10% in the same direction relative to the
U.S. Dollar on all financial instruments; however, the analysis did
not include the potential impact on revenues, local currency prices
or the effect of fluctuating currencies on the Company’s
anticipated foreign currency royalties and other payments received
from the markets. Based on the results of these analyses of the
Company’s financial instruments, neither a one percentage point
adverse change in interest rates from 2014 levels nor a 10%
adverse change in foreign currency rates from 2014 levels would
materially affect the Company’s results of operations, cash flows
or the fair value of its financial instruments.
LIQUIDITY
The Company has significant operations outside the U.S. where
we earn over 60% of our operating income. A significant portion of
these historical earnings are considered to be indefinitely
reinvested in foreign jurisdictions where the Company has made,
and will continue to make, substantial investments to support the
ongoing development and growth of our international operations.
Accordingly, no U.S. federal or state income taxes have been
provided on these undistributed foreign earnings. The Company's
cash and equivalents held by our foreign subsidiaries totaled
approximately $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2014. We do not
intend, nor do we foresee a need, to repatriate these funds.
In the U.S., the Company maintains certain supplemental
benefit plans that allow participants to (i) make tax-deferred
contributions and (ii) receive Company-provided allocations that
cannot be made under the qualified benefit plans because of
Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") limitations. At December 31,
2014, total liabilities for the supplemental plans were $534 million.
In addition, total liabilities for gross unrecognized tax benefits
Consistent with prior years, we expect existing domestic cash
were $988 million at December 31, 2014.
and equivalents, domestic cash flows from operations, annual
repatriation of a portion of the current period's foreign earnings,
and the issuance of domestic debt to continue to be sufficient to
fund our domestic operating, investing, and financing activities.
We also continue to expect existing foreign cash and equivalents
and foreign cash flows from operations to be sufficient to fund our
foreign operating, investing, and financing activities.
In the future, should we require more capital to fund activities
in the U.S. than is generated by our domestic operations and is
available through the issuance of domestic debt, we could elect to
repatriate a greater portion of future periods' earnings from foreign
jurisdictions. This could also result in a higher effective tax rate in
the future.
While the likelihood is remote, to the extent foreign cash is
available, the Company could also elect to repatriate earnings
from foreign jurisdictions that have previously been considered to
be indefinitely reinvested. Upon distribution of those earnings in
the form of dividends or otherwise, the Company may be subject
to additional U.S. income taxes (net of an adjustment for foreign
tax credits), which could result in a use of cash. This could also
result in a higher effective tax rate in the period in which such a
determination is made to repatriate prior period foreign earnings.
Refer to the Income Taxes note to the consolidated financial
statements for further information related to our income taxes and
the undistributed earnings of the Company's foreign subsidiaries.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS
The Company has long-term contractual obligations primarily in
the form of lease obligations (related to both Company-operated
and franchised restaurants) and debt obligations. In addition, the
Company has long-term revenue and cash flow streams that
relate to its franchise arrangements. Cash provided by operations
(including cash provided by these franchise arrangements) along
with the Company’s borrowing capacity and other sources of cash
will be used to satisfy the obligations. The following table
summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations and their
aggregate maturities as well as future minimum rent payments
due to the Company under existing franchise arrangements as of
December 31, 2014. See discussions of cash flows and financial
position and capital resources as well as the Notes to the
consolidated financial statements for further details.
Contractual cash outflows
Operating
leases
$ 1,382
1,289
1,163
1,044
947
7,335
$13,160
Debt
obligations(1)
$
831
1,069
1,005
2,979
9,101
$14,985
Contractual cash inflows
Minimum rent under
franchise arrangements
$ 2,652
2,568
2,461
2,353
2,254
18,114
$30,402
In millions
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total
(1) The maturities include reclassifications of short-term obligations to long-
term obligations of $2.2 billion, as they are supported by a long-term line
of credit agreement expiring in December 2019. Debt obligations do not
include $5 million of noncash fair value hedging adjustments or $234
million of accrued interest.
There are certain purchase commitments that are not
recognized in the consolidated financial statements and are
primarily related to construction, inventory, energy, marketing and
other service related arrangements that occur in the normal
course of business. The amounts related to these commitments
are not significant to the Company’s financial position. Such
commitments are generally shorter term in nature and will be
funded from operating cash flows.
Other Matters
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and
results of operations is based upon the Company’s consolidated
financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. The
preparation of these financial statements requires the Company to
make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of
assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses as well as related
disclosures. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its
estimates and judgments based on historical experience and
various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the
circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates
under various assumptions or conditions.
The Company reviews its financial reporting and disclosure
practices and accounting policies quarterly to ensure that they
provide accurate and transparent information relative to the
current economic and business environment. The Company
believes that of its significant accounting policies, the following
involve a higher degree of judgment and/or complexity:
Property and equipment
Property and equipment are depreciated or amortized on a
straight-line basis over their useful lives based on management’s
estimates of the period over which the assets will generate
revenue (not to exceed lease term plus options for leased
property). The useful lives are estimated based on historical
experience with similar assets, taking into account anticipated
technological or other changes. The Company periodically reviews
these lives relative to physical factors, economic factors and
industry trends. If there are changes in the planned use of
property and equipment, or if technological changes occur more
rapidly than anticipated, the useful lives assigned to these assets
may need to be shortened, resulting in the accelerated recognition
of depreciation and amortization expense or write-offs in future
periods.
Share-based compensation
The Company has a share-based compensation plan which
authorizes the granting of various equity-based incentives
including stock options and restricted stock units ("RSUs") to
employees and nonemployee directors. The expense for these
equity-based incentives is based on their fair value at date of grant
and generally amortized over their vesting period.
The fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on
the date of grant using a closed-form pricing model. The pricing
model requires assumptions, which impact the assumed fair value,
including the expected life of the stock option, the risk-free interest
rate, expected volatility of the Company’s stock over the expected
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 25
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
25
Consolidated Financial Statements for the related tax
reconciliations. The most significant new developments in 2014
are described below.
In 2014, the Company received an unfavorable lower tax
court ruling in a foreign tax jurisdiction related to exempt income
matters. As a result of this new information, the Company changed
its judgment on the sustainability of this tax position for 2003-2010
and recorded an increase in the gross unrecognized tax benefits
of $188 million. The Company intends to pursue all available
remedies to defend this tax position.
In addition, the Company received new information from tax
authorities during the progression of tax audits in multiple foreign
tax jurisdictions, including the receipt of proposed tax
assessments primarily related to transfer pricing matters. As a
result of this new information, the Company changed its judgment
on the measurement of the related unrecognized tax benefits and
recorded an increase in the gross unrecognized tax benefits of
$207 million. The Company settled certain of these tax audits in
2014 and plans to defend its position with the tax authorities on
the remaining audits.
Also in 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) concluded
its field examination of the Company’s U.S. Federal income tax
returns for 2009 and 2010. In connection with this examination,
the Company agreed to certain adjustments proposed by the IRS.
The liabilities previously recorded related to these adjustments
were adequate. In connection with this examination, the Company
also received notices of proposed adjustments ("NOPAs") related
to certain transfer pricing matters and engaged in audit defense
discussions with the IRS. As a result of this new information, the
Company changed its judgment on the measurement of the
related unrecognized tax benefits and recorded an increase in the
gross unrecognized tax benefits of $38 million. The Company
disagrees with these proposed adjustments and will file a protest
with the IRS Appeals Office in 2015.
While the Company cannot predict the ultimate resolution of
the aforementioned tax matters, we believe that the liabilities
recorded are appropriate and adequate as determined in
accordance with Topic 740 - Income Taxes of the Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”).
In 2012, the IRS completed its examination of the Company's
U.S. federal income tax returns for 2007 and 2008. The Company
and the IRS reached an agreement on adjustments that had been
previously proposed by the IRS. The agreement did not have a
material impact on the Company's cash flows, results of
operations or financial position.
Deferred U.S. income taxes have not been recorded for
temporary differences totaling $15.4 billion related to investments
in certain foreign subsidiaries and corporate affiliates. The
temporary differences consist primarily of undistributed earnings
that are considered permanently invested in operations outside
the U.S. If management's intentions change in the future, deferred
taxes may need to be provided.
EFFECTS OF CHANGING PRICES—INFLATION
The Company has demonstrated an ability to manage inflationary
cost increases effectively. This ability is because of rapid inventory
turnover, the ability to adjust menu prices, cost controls and
substantial property holdings, many of which are at fixed costs and
partly financed by debt made less expensive by inflation.
life and the expected dividend yield. The Company uses historical
data to determine these assumptions and if these assumptions
change significantly for future grants, share-based compensation
expense will fluctuate in future years. The fair value of each RSU
granted is equal to the market price of the Company’s stock at
date of grant less the present value of expected dividends over the
vesting period.
Long-lived assets impairment review
Long-lived assets (including goodwill) are reviewed for impairment
annually in the fourth quarter and whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may
not be recoverable. In assessing the recoverability of the
Company’s long-lived assets, the Company considers changes in
economic conditions and makes assumptions regarding estimated
future cash flows and other factors. Estimates of future cash flows
are highly subjective judgments based on the Company’s
experience and knowledge of its operations. These estimates can
be significantly impacted by many factors including changes in
global and local business and economic conditions, operating
costs, inflation, competition, and consumer and demographic
trends. A key assumption impacting estimated future cash flows is
the estimated change in comparable sales. If the Company’s
estimates or underlying assumptions change in the future, the
Company may be required to record impairment charges. Based
on the annual goodwill impairment test, conducted in the fourth
quarter, the Company does not have any reporting units (defined
as each individual country) with risk of material goodwill
impairment.
Litigation accruals
In the ordinary course of business, the Company is subject to
proceedings, lawsuits and other claims primarily related to
competitors, customers, employees, franchisees, government
agencies, intellectual property, shareholders and suppliers. The
Company is required to assess the likelihood of any adverse
judgments or outcomes to these matters as well as potential
ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of
accrual required, if any, for these contingencies is made after
careful analysis of each matter. The required accrual may change
in the future due to new developments in each matter or changes
in approach such as a change in settlement strategy in dealing
with these matters. The Company does not believe that any such
matter currently being reviewed will have a material adverse effect
on its financial condition or results of operations.
Income taxes
The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred
tax assets if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the
deferred assets will not be realized. While the Company has
considered future taxable income and ongoing prudent and
feasible tax strategies, including the sale of appreciated assets, in
assessing the need for the valuation allowance, if these estimates
and assumptions change in the future, the Company may be
required to adjust its valuation allowance. This could result in a
charge to, or an increase in, income in the period such
determination is made.
The Company operates within multiple taxing jurisdictions and
is subject to audit in these jurisdictions. The Company records
accruals for the estimated outcomes of these audits, and the
accruals may change in the future due to new developments in
each matter.
In 2014, the Company increased the balance of unrecognized
tax benefits related to tax positions taken in prior years by $505
million, most of which came from foreign-related tax matters. After
considering the impact of deferred tax offsets, interest and
penalties, these foreign-related tax matters impacted the effective
tax rate by 4.1%. See the Income Taxes footnote in the
26 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
26 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
RECONCILIATION OF RETURNS ON INCREMENTAL INVESTED CAPITAL
ROIIC is a measure reviewed by management over one-year and three-year time periods to evaluate the overall profitability of our markets,
the effectiveness of capital deployed and the future allocation of capital. This measure is calculated using operating income and constant
foreign exchange rates to exclude the impact of foreign currency translation. The numerator is the Company’s incremental operating income
plus depreciation and amortization from the base period.
The denominator is the weighted-average cash used for investing activities during the applicable one-or three-year period. The
weighted-average cash used for investing activities is based on a weighting applied on a quarterly basis. These weightings are used to
reflect the estimated contribution of each quarter’s investing activities to incremental operating income. For example, fourth quarter 2014
investing activities are weighted less because the assets purchased have only recently been deployed and would have generated little
incremental operating income (12.5% of fourth quarter 2014 investing activities are included in the one-year and three-year calculations). In
contrast, fourth quarter 2013 is heavily weighted because the assets purchased were deployed more than 12 months ago, and therefore
have a full-year impact on 2014 operating income, with little or no impact to the base period (87.5% and 100.0% of fourth quarter 2013
investing activities are included in the one-year and three-year calculations, respectively). Cash used for investing activities can vary
significantly by quarter, resulting in a weighted-average that may be higher or lower than the simple average of the periods presented.
Management believes that weighting cash used for investing activities provides a more accurate reflection of the relationship between its
investments and returns than a simple average.
The reconciliations to the most comparable measurements, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., for
the numerator and denominator of the one-year and three-year ROIIC are as follows:
One-year ROIIC calculation (dollars in millions):
Three-year ROIIC calculation (dollars in millions):
Years ended December 31,
2014
2013
NUMERATOR:
Operating income
Depreciation and amortization
Currency translation(1)
Change in operating income plus depreciation and
$7,949.2
1,644.5
$8,764.3
1,585.1
amortization (at constant foreign exchange rates)
DENOMINATOR:
Weighted-average cash used for
investing activities(2)
Currency translation(1)
Weighted-average cash used for investing activities
(at constant foreign exchange rates)
Increase/
(decrease)
$ (815.1)
59.4
152.0
$ (603.7)
$ 2,769.2
(12.2)
$ 2,757.0
Years ended December 31,
2014
2011
NUMERATOR:
Operating income
Depreciation and amortization
Currency translation(3)
Change in operating income plus depreciation and
$7,949.2
1,644.5
$8,529.7
1,415.0
amortization (at constant foreign exchange rates)
DENOMINATOR:
Weighted-average cash used for
investing activities(4)
Currency translation(3)
Weighted-average cash used for investing activities
(at constant foreign exchange rates)
One-year ROIIC
(21.9)%
Three-year ROIIC
Increase/
(decrease)
$ (580.5)
229.5
473.6
$ 122.6
$8,547.2
6.3
$8,553.5
1.4%
(1) Represents the effect of foreign currency translation by translating results
(3) Represents the effect of foreign currency translation by translating results
at an average exchange rate for the periods measured.
at an average exchange rate for the periods measured.
(2) Represents one-year weighted-average cash used for investing activities,
(4) Represents three-year weighted-average cash used for investing
determined by applying the weightings below to the cash used for
investing activities for each quarter in the two-year period ended
December 31, 2014.
activities, determined by applying the weightings below to the cash used
for investing activities for each quarter in the four-year period ended
December 31, 2014.
Cash used for
investing activities
AS A PERCENT
Quarters ended:
March 31
June 30
September 30
December 31
Years ended December 31,
2014
2013
$2,304.9
$2,673.8
87.5%
62.5
37.5
12.5
12.5%
37.5
62.5
87.5
Cash used for
investing activities
AS A PERCENT
Quarters ended:
March 31
June 30
September 30
December 31
Years ended December 31,
2014
2013
2012
2011
$2,304.9
$2,673.8
$3,167.3
$2,570.9
100.0
87.5% 100.0% 100.0%
62.5
37.5
12.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
12.5%
37.5
62.5
87.5
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 27
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
27
RISK FACTORS AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This report includes forward-looking statements about our plans and future performance, including those under Outlook for 2015. These
statements use such words as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe” and “plan.” They reflect our expectations and speak only as of the date of this
report. We do not undertake to update them. Our expectations (or the underlying assumptions) may change or not be realized, and you
should not rely unduly on forward-looking statements. We have identified the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance
elsewhere in this report, and investors are urged to consider these risks and uncertainties when evaluating our historical and expected
performance.
ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk are included in Part II, Item 7, page 24 of the Form 10-K.
ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Index to consolidated financial statements
Page reference
Consolidated statement of income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014
Consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2014 and 2013
Consolidated statement of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014
Consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014
Notes to consolidated financial statements
Quarterly results (unaudited)
Management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting
Report of independent registered public accounting firm
Report of independent registered public accounting firm on internal control over financial reporting
29
30
31
32
33
34
45
46
47
48
28 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
28 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Consolidated Statement of Income
In millions, except per share data
REVENUES
Sales by Company-operated restaurants
Revenues from franchised restaurants
Total revenues
OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES
Company-operated restaurant expenses
Food & paper
Payroll & employee benefits
Occupancy & other operating expenses
Franchised restaurants-occupancy expenses
Selling, general & administrative expenses
Other operating (income) expense, net
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating income
Interest expense-net of capitalized interest of $14.7, $15.5 and $15.9
Nonoperating (income) expense, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Earnings per common share–basic
Earnings per common share–diluted
Dividends declared per common share
Weighted-average shares outstanding–basic
Weighted-average shares outstanding–diluted
See Notes to consolidated financial statements.
Years ended December 31, 2014
2013
2012
$ 18,169.3
9,272.0
27,441.3
$ 18,874.2
9,231.5
28,105.7
$ 18,602.5
8,964.5
27,567.0
6,129.7
4,756.0
4,402.6
1,697.3
2,487.9
18.6
19,492.1
7,949.2
570.5
6.7
7,372.0
2,614.2
$ 4,757.8
4.85
$
4.82
$
3.28
$
980.5
986.3
6,361.3
4,824.1
4,393.2
1,624.4
2,385.6
(247.2)
19,341.4
8,764.3
521.9
37.9
8,204.5
2,618.6
$ 5,585.9
5.59
$
5.55
$
3.12
$
998.4
1,006.0
6,318.2
4,710.3
4,195.2
1,527.0
2,455.2
(243.5)
18,962.4
8,604.6
516.6
9.0
8,079.0
2,614.2
$ 5,464.8
5.41
$
5.36
$
2.87
$
1,010.1
1,020.2
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 29
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
29
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
In millions
Net income
Years ended December 31, 2014
2013
2012
$4,757.8 $5,585.9 $5,464.8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustments:
Gain (loss) recognized in accumulated other comprehensive
income (AOCI), including net investment hedges
Reclassification of (gain) loss to net income
Foreign currency translation adjustments-net of tax
benefit (expense) of $(196.0), $(5.3) and $(47.9)
Cash flow hedges:
Gain (loss) recognized in AOCI
Reclassification of (gain) loss to net income
Cash flow hedges-net of tax benefit (expense) of $(18.2),
$11.4 and $(8.8)
Defined benefit pension plans:
Gain (loss) recognized in AOCI
Reclassification of (gain) loss to net income
Defined benefit pension plans-net of tax benefit (expense)
of $7.7, $14.2 and $(13.9)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Comprehensive income
See Notes to consolidated financial statements.
(1,971.6)
(279.4)
274.7
15.2
—
(0.1)
(1,956.4)
(279.4)
274.6
40.1
(6.8)
(73.4)
35.9
33.3
(37.5)
(26.6)
2.4
(52.8)
0.9
(24.2)
(51.9)
19.8
10.8
30.6
33.1
8.4
41.5
(1,947.3)
(368.8)
346.7
$2,810.5 $5,217.1 $5,811.5
30 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
30 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Consolidated Balance Sheet
In millions, except per share data
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and equivalents
Accounts and notes receivable
Inventories, at cost, not in excess of market
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Other assets
Investments in and advances to affiliates
Goodwill
Miscellaneous
Total other assets
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, at cost
Accumulated depreciation and amortization
Net property and equipment
Total assets
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
Income taxes
Other taxes
Accrued interest
Accrued payroll and other liabilities
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt
Other long-term liabilities
Deferred income taxes
Shareholders’ equity
Preferred stock, no par value; authorized – 165.0 million shares; issued – none
Common stock, $.01 par value; authorized – 3.5 billion shares; issued – 1,660.6 million shares
Additional paid-in capital
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income
Common stock in treasury, at cost; 697.7 and 670.2 million shares
Total shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
See Notes to consolidated financial statements.
December 31, 2014
2013
$ 2,077.9
1,214.4
110.0
783.2
4,185.5
1,004.5
2,735.3
1,798.6
5,538.4
$ 2,798.7
1,319.8
123.7
807.9
5,050.1
1,209.1
2,872.7
1,747.1
5,828.9
39,126.1
(14,568.6)
24,557.5
$ 34,281.4
40,355.6
(14,608.3)
25,747.3
$ 36,626.3
$
860.1
166.8
330.0
233.7
1,157.3
2,747.9
14,989.7
2,065.9
1,624.5
16.6
6,239.1
43,294.5
(1,519.7)
(35,177.1)
12,853.4
$ 34,281.4
$ 1,086.0
215.5
383.1
221.6
1,263.8
3,170.0
14,129.8
1,669.1
1,647.7
16.6
5,994.1
41,751.2
427.6
(32,179.8)
16,009.7
$ 36,626.3
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 31
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
31
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
In millions
Operating activities
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile to cash provided by operations
Charges and credits:
Depreciation and amortization
Deferred income taxes
Share-based compensation
Other
Changes in working capital items:
Accounts receivable
Inventories, prepaid expenses and other current assets
Accounts payable
Income taxes
Other accrued liabilities
Cash provided by operations
Investing activities
Capital expenditures
Purchases of restaurant businesses
Sales of restaurant businesses and property
Other
Cash used for investing activities
Financing activities
Net short-term borrowings
Long-term financing issuances
Long-term financing repayments
Treasury stock purchases
Common stock dividends
Proceeds from stock option exercises
Excess tax benefit on share-based compensation
Other
Cash used for financing activities
Effect of exchange rates on cash and equivalents
Cash and equivalents increase (decrease)
Cash and equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and equivalents at end of year
Supplemental cash flow disclosures
Interest paid
Income taxes paid
See Notes to consolidated financial statements.
Years ended December 31, 2014
2013
2012
$ 4,757.8
$ 5,585.9
$ 5,464.8
1,644.5
(90.7)
112.8
369.5
27.0
(4.9)
(74.7)
3.3
(14.3)
6,730.3
(2,583.4)
(170.5)
489.9
(40.9)
(2,304.9)
510.4
1,540.6
(548.1)
(3,198.6)
(3,216.1)
235.4
70.9
(12.8)
(4,618.3)
(527.9)
(720.8)
2,798.7
$ 2,077.9
1,585.1
25.2
89.1
26.8
56.2
(44.4)
(60.7)
(154.4)
11.9
7,120.7
1,488.5
134.5
93.4
(92.0)
(29.4)
(27.2)
124.1
(74.0)
(116.6)
6,966.1
(2,824.7)
(181.0)
440.1
(108.2)
(2,673.8)
(3,049.2)
(158.5)
394.7
(354.3)
(3,167.3)
(186.5)
1,417.2
(695.4)
(1,777.8)
(3,114.6)
233.3
92.6
(11.8)
(4,043.0)
58.7
462.6
2,336.1
$ 2,798.7
(117.5)
2,284.9
(962.8)
(2,615.1)
(2,896.6)
328.6
142.3
(13.6)
(3,849.8)
51.4
0.4
2,335.7
$ 2,336.1
$ 573.2
2,388.3
$ 532.7
2,546.0
$ 533.7
2,447.8
32 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
32 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity
In millions, except per share data
Balance at December 31, 2011
Net income
Other comprehensive income (loss),
net of tax
Comprehensive income
Common stock cash dividends
($2.87 per share)
Treasury stock purchases
Share-based compensation
Stock option exercises and other
(including tax benefits of $150.8)
Balance at December 31, 2012
Net income
Other comprehensive income (loss),
net of tax
Comprehensive income
Common stock cash dividends
($3.12 per share)
Treasury stock purchases
Share-based compensation
Stock option exercises and other
(including tax benefits of $93.6)
Balance at December 31, 2013
Net income
Other comprehensive income (loss),
net of tax
Comprehensive income
Common stock cash dividends
($3.28 per share)
Treasury stock purchases
Share-based compensation
Stock option exercises and other
(including tax benefits of $70.2)
Balance at December 31, 2014
Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)
Common stock
issued
Shares Amount
$16.6
1,660.6
Additional
paid-in
capital
$ 5,487.3
Retained
earnings Pensions
Cash flow
hedges
Foreign
currency
translation
$36,707.5
5,464.8
$ (132.3)
$ 4.6
$
577.4
Common stock in
treasury
Amount
Shares
(639.2) $ (28,270.9)
Total
shareholders’
equity
$14,390.2
5,464.8
93.4
198.2
1,660.6
16.6
5,778.9
89.1
126.1
1,660.6
16.6
5,994.1
41.5
30.6
274.6
(28.1)
(2,605.4)
9.4
300.0
(90.8)
35.2
852.0
(657.9)
(30,576.3)
(51.9)
(37.5)
(279.4)
(18.7)
(1,810.5)
6.4
207.0
(142.7)
(2.3)
572.6
(670.2)
(32,179.8)
(24.2)
33.3
(1,956.4)
(33.1)
(3,175.3)
(2,896.6)
2.3
39,278.0
5,585.9
(3,114.6)
1.9
41,751.2
4,757.8
(3,216.1)
346.7
5,811.5
(2,896.6)
(2,605.4)
93.4
500.5
15,293.6
5,585.9
(368.8)
5,217.1
(3,114.6)
(1,810.5)
89.1
335.0
16,009.7
4,757.8
(1,947.3)
2,810.5
(3,216.1)
(3,175.3)
112.8
112.8
132.2
1.6
1,660.6
$16.6
$ 6,239.1
$43,294.5
$ (166.9)
$31.0
$(1,383.8)
(697.7) $ (35,177.1)
$12,853.4
5.6
178.0
311.8
See Notes to consolidated financial statements.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 33
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
33
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
NATURE OF BUSINESS
The Company franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in
the global restaurant industry. All restaurants are operated either
by the Company or by franchisees, including conventional
franchisees under franchise arrangements, and foreign affiliates
and developmental licensees under license agreements.
The following table presents restaurant information by
ownership type:
Restaurants at December 31,
Conventional franchised
Developmental licensed
Foreign affiliated
Franchised
Company-operated
Systemwide restaurants
2014
20,774
5,228
3,542
29,544
6,714
36,258
2013
20,355
4,747
3,589
28,691
6,738
35,429
2012
19,869
4,350
3,663
27,882
6,598
34,480
The results of operations of restaurant businesses purchased
and sold in transactions with franchisees were not material either
individually or in the aggregate to the consolidated financial
statements for periods prior to purchase and sale.
CONSOLIDATION
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the
Company and its subsidiaries. Investments in affiliates owned 50%
or less (primarily McDonald’s Japan) are accounted for by the
equity method.
On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its business
relationships such as those with franchisees, joint venture
partners, developmental licensees, suppliers, and advertising
cooperatives to identify potential variable interest entities.
Generally, these businesses qualify for a scope exception under
the variable interest entity consolidation guidance. The Company
has concluded that consolidation of any such entity is not
appropriate for the periods presented.
ESTIMATES IN FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying
notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
REVENUE RECOGNITION
The Company’s revenues consist of sales by Company-operated
restaurants and fees from franchised restaurants operated by
conventional franchisees, developmental licensees and foreign
affiliates.
Sales by Company-operated restaurants are recognized on a
cash basis. The Company presents sales net of sales tax and
other sales-related taxes. Revenues from conventional franchised
restaurants include rent and royalties based on a percent of sales
with minimum rent payments, and initial fees. Revenues from
restaurants licensed to foreign affiliates and developmental
licensees include a royalty based on a percent of sales, and may
include initial fees. Continuing rent and royalties are recognized in
the period earned. Initial fees are recognized upon opening of a
restaurant or granting of a new franchise term, which is when the
Company has performed substantially all initial services required
by the franchise arrangement.
34 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
34 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board
issued guidance codified in Accounting Standards Codification
("ASC") 606, "Revenue Recognition - Revenue from Contracts
with Customers," which amends the guidance in ASC 605,
"Revenue Recognition," and becomes effective beginning
January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact
of the provisions of ASC 606.
FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION
Generally, the functional currency of operations outside the U.S. is
the respective local currency.
ADVERTISING COSTS
Advertising costs included in operating expenses of Company-
operated restaurants primarily consist of contributions to
advertising cooperatives and were (in millions): 2014–$808.2;
2013–$808.4; 2012–$787.5. Production costs for radio and
television advertising are expensed when the commercials are
initially aired. These production costs, primarily in the U.S., as well
as other marketing-related expenses included in Selling, general &
administrative expenses were (in millions): 2014–$98.7; 2013–
$75.4; 2012–$113.5. Costs related to the Olympics sponsorship
are included in these expenses for 2014 and 2012. In addition,
significant advertising costs are incurred by franchisees through
contributions to advertising cooperatives in individual markets.
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
Share-based compensation includes the portion vesting of all
share-based awards granted based on the grant date fair value.
Share-based compensation expense and the effect on diluted
earnings per common share were as follows:
In millions, except per share data
Share-based compensation expense
After tax
Earnings per common share-diluted
2014
$112.8
$ 72.8
$ 0.08
2013
$ 89.1
$ 60.6
$ 0.06
2012
$ 93.4
$ 63.2
$ 0.06
Compensation expense related to share-based awards is
generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period
in Selling, general & administrative expenses. As of December 31,
2014, there was $97.3 million of total unrecognized compensation
cost related to nonvested share-based compensation that is
expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9
years.
The fair value of each stock option granted is estimated on
the date of grant using a closed-form pricing model. The following
table presents the weighted-average assumptions used in the
option pricing model for the 2014, 2013 and 2012 stock option
grants. The expected life of the options represents the period of
time the options are expected to be outstanding and is based on
historical trends. Expected stock price volatility is generally based
on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock for a period
approximating the expected life. The expected dividend yield is
based on the Company’s most recent annual dividend rate. The
risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in
effect at the time of grant with a term equal to the expected life.
Weighted-average assumptions
Expected dividend yield
Expected stock price volatility
Risk-free interest rate
Expected life of options
(in years)
2014
2013
2012
3.3%
20.0%
2.0%
6.1
3.5%
20.6%
1.2%
6.1
2.8%
20.8%
1.1%
6.1
Fair value per option granted
$12.23
$11.09
$13.65
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment are stated at cost, with depreciation and
amortization provided using the straight-line method over the
following estimated useful lives: buildings–up to 40 years;
leasehold improvements–the lesser of useful lives of assets or
lease terms, which generally include certain option periods; and
equipment–three to 12 years.
GOODWILL
Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the net tangible
assets and identifiable intangible assets of acquired restaurant
businesses. The Company's goodwill primarily results from
purchases of McDonald's restaurants from franchisees and
ownership increases in subsidiaries or affiliates, and it is generally
assigned to the reporting unit expected to benefit from the
synergies of the combination. If a Company-operated restaurant is
sold within 24 months of acquisition, the goodwill associated with
the acquisition is written off in its entirety. If a restaurant is sold
In millions
Balance at December 31, 2013
Net restaurant purchases (sales)
Currency translation
Balance at December 31, 2014
U.S.
$ 1,293.6
2.2
$ 1,295.8
(1) APMEA represents Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
(2) Other Countries & Corporate represents Canada, Latin America and Corporate.
beyond 24 months from the acquisition, the amount of goodwill
written off is based on the relative fair value of the business sold
compared to the reporting unit (defined as each individual
country).
The Company conducts goodwill impairment testing in the
fourth quarter of each year or whenever an indicator of impairment
exists. If an indicator of impairment exists (e.g., estimated
earnings multiple value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying
value), the goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a
reporting unit, generally based on discounted future cash flows,
with its carrying amount including goodwill. If the carrying amount
of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is
measured as the difference between the implied fair value of the
reporting unit's goodwill and the carrying amount of goodwill.
Historically, goodwill impairment has not significantly impacted the
consolidated financial statements.
The following table presents the 2014 activity in goodwill by
segment:
Europe
$ 958.1
16.8
(126.2)
$ 848.7
APMEA(1)
$ 428.7
(0.2)
(27.8)
$ 400.7
Other Countries
& Corporate(2)
$ 192.3
15.1
(17.3)
$ 190.1
Consolidated
$2,872.7
33.9
(171.3)
$2,735.3
LONG-LIVED ASSETS
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment annually in the
fourth quarter and whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. For purposes of annually reviewing McDonald’s
restaurant assets for potential impairment, assets are initially
grouped together in the U.S. at a television market level, and
internationally, at a country level. The Company manages its
restaurants as a group or portfolio with significant common costs
and promotional activities; as such, an individual restaurant’s cash
flows are not generally independent of the cash flows of others in
a market. If an indicator of impairment (e.g., negative operating
cash flows for the most recent trailing 24-month period) exists for
any grouping of assets, an estimate of undiscounted future cash
flows produced by each individual restaurant within the asset
grouping is compared to its carrying value. If an individual
restaurant is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured by
the excess of the carrying amount of the restaurant over its fair
value as determined by an estimate of discounted future cash
flows.
Losses on assets held for disposal are recognized when
management and the Board of Directors, as required, have
approved and committed to a plan to dispose of the assets, the
assets are available for disposal, the disposal is probable of
occurring within 12 months, and the net sales proceeds are
expected to be less than its net book value, among other factors.
Generally, such losses relate to restaurants that have closed and
ceased operations as well as other assets that meet the criteria to
be considered “available for sale”.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at
fair value on a recurring basis, and certain non-financial assets
and liabilities on a nonrecurring basis. Fair value is defined as the
price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a
liability in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly
transaction between market participants on the measurement
date. Fair value disclosures are reflected in a three-level hierarchy,
maximizing the use of observable inputs and minimizing the use of
unobservable inputs.
The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of
inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability on the measurement
date. The three levels are defined as follows:
Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted
prices (unadjusted) for an identical asset or liability in an
active market.
Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted
prices for a similar asset or liability in an active market or
model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are
observable for substantially the full term of the asset or
liability.
Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are
unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement
of the asset or liability.
Certain of the Company’s derivatives are valued using various
pricing models or discounted cash flow analyses that incorporate
observable market parameters, such as interest rate yield curves,
option volatilities and currency rates, classified as Level 2 within
the valuation hierarchy. Derivative valuations incorporate credit
risk adjustments that are necessary to reflect the probability of
default by the counterparty or the Company.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 35
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
35
Certain Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair
Value
The following tables present financial assets and liabilities
measured at fair value on a recurring basis by the valuation
hierarchy as defined in the fair value guidance:
December 31, 2014
In millions
Derivative assets
Derivative liabilities
December 31, 2013
In millions
Derivative assets
Derivative liabilities
Level 1*
$ 115.9
Level 2
$ 130.2
$ (50.2)
Carrying
Value
$ 246.1
$ (50.2)
Level 1*
$ 128.2
Level 2
$ 71.6
$(179.3)
Carrying
Value
$ 199.8
$(179.3)
*
Level 1 is comprised of derivatives that hedge market driven changes in
liabilities associated with the Company’s supplemental benefit plans.
Non-Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair
Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a
nonrecurring basis; that is, the assets and liabilities are not
measured at fair value on an ongoing basis, but are subject to fair
value adjustments in certain circumstances (e.g., when there is
evidence of impairment). For the year ended December 31, 2014,
no material fair value adjustments or fair value measurements
were required for non-financial assets or liabilities.
Certain Financial Assets and Liabilities not Measured at
Fair Value
At December 31, 2014, the fair value of the Company’s debt
obligations was estimated at $16.7 billion, compared to a carrying
amount of $15.0 billion. The fair value was based on quoted
market prices, Level 2 within the valuation hierarchy. The carrying
amount for both cash equivalents and notes receivable
approximate fair value.
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
The Company is exposed to global market risks, including the
effect of changes in interest rates and foreign currency
fluctuations. The Company uses foreign currency denominated
debt and derivative instruments to mitigate the impact of these
changes. The Company does not hold or issue derivatives for
trading purposes.
The Company documents its risk management objective and
strategy for undertaking hedging transactions, as well as all
relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items. The
Company’s derivatives that are designated for hedge accounting
consist mainly of interest rate swaps, foreign currency forwards,
foreign currency options, and cross-currency swaps, further
explained in the "Fair Value," "Cash Flow" and "Net Investment"
hedge sections.
The Company also enters into certain derivatives that are not
designated for hedge accounting. The Company has entered into
equity derivative contracts, including total return swaps, to hedge
market-driven changes in certain of its supplemental benefit plan
liabilities. Changes in the fair value of these derivatives are
recorded primarily in Selling, general & administrative expenses
together with the changes in the supplemental benefit plan
liabilities. In addition, the Company uses foreign currency forwards
to mitigate the change in fair value of certain foreign currency
denominated assets and liabilities. Since these derivatives are not
designated for hedge accounting, the changes in the fair value of
these derivatives are recognized immediately in Nonoperating
(income) expense together with the currency gain or loss from the
hedged balance sheet position. A portion of the Company’s foreign
currency options (more fully described in the "Cash Flow Hedges"
section) are undesignated as hedging instruments as the
underlying foreign currency royalties are earned.
All derivative instruments designated for hedge accounting
are classified as fair value, cash flow or net investment hedges. All
derivatives (including those not designated for hedge accounting)
are recognized on the Consolidated balance sheet at fair value
and classified based on the instruments’ maturity dates. Changes
in the fair value measurements of the derivative instruments are
reflected as adjustments to other comprehensive income ("OCI")
and/or current earnings.
36 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
36 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
The following table presents the fair values of derivative instruments included on the Consolidated balance sheet as of December 31,
2014 and 2013:
Derivative Assets
Derivative Liabilities
In millions
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Balance Sheet Classification
Foreign currency
Interest rate
Foreign currency
Interest rate
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
Miscellaneous other assets
Miscellaneous other assets
2014
2013 Balance Sheet Classification
2014
2013
$ 80.5
$ 28.3
liabilities
$
(0.2) $ (28.8)
Accrued payroll and other
2.6
15.5
9.6
—
2.5 Other long-term liabilities
24.8 Other long-term liabilities
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments
$ 108.2
$ 55.6
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Equity
Foreign currency
Equity
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets
Miscellaneous other assets
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Total derivatives
$ 120.6
$
6.7
17.3
9.3
liabilities
Accrued payroll and other
— 128.2
$ 144.2
$ 137.9
$ 246.1
$ 199.8
(34.6)
(7.5)
(114.7)
(12.0)
$ (42.3) $ (155.5)
$
$
(7.9) $ (23.8)
(7.9) $ (23.8)
$ (50.2) $ (179.3)
The following table presents the pretax amounts affecting income and OCI for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013,
respectively:
In millions
Derivatives in
Fair Value
Hedging
Relationships
Interest rate
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income
on Derivative
Hedged Items in
Fair Value
Hedging
Relationships
2014
(8.1)
$
2013
$ (29.5) Fixed-rate debt
Derivatives in
Cash Flow
Hedging
Relationships
Gain (Loss) Recognized in
Accumulated OCI on
Derivative
(Effective Portion)
Gain (Loss)
Reclassified into Income
from Accumulated OCI
(Effective Portion)
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income on
Related Hedged Items
2014
$ 8.1
2013
$ 29.5
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income on
Derivative (Amount Excluded
from Effectiveness Testing and
Ineffective Portion)
Commodity
Foreign currency
Interest rate(1)
Total
2014
—
62.0
—
62.0
$
$
2013
$ (34.1)
(65.5)
—
$ (99.6)
2014
2013
$ 11.0
(0.5)
$ 10.5
$ (50.3)
(0.4)
$ (50.7)
2014
$ 9.5
—
$ 9.5
2013
$ (6.1)
—
$ (6.1)
Net Investment
Hedging Relationships
Foreign currency denominated debt
Foreign currency derivatives
Total
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
Accumulated OCI
(Effective Portion)
2014
$ 954.6
126.6
$1,081.2
2013
$ (382.8)
(18.4)
$ (401.2)
Derivatives Not
Designated for
Hedge
Accounting
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
Income
on Derivative
Foreign currency
Equity(2)
Total
2014
$ 10.4
23.5
$ 33.9
2013
$ (30.2)
21.8
$ (8.4)
Gains (losses) recognized in income on derivatives are recorded in Nonoperating (income) expense, net unless otherwise noted.
(1) The amount of gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income is recorded in Interest expense.
(2) The amount of gain (loss) recognized in income on the derivatives used to hedge the supplemental benefit plan liabilities is primarily recorded in Selling, general &
administrative expenses.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 37
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
37
The Company recorded after tax adjustments to the cash flow
hedging component of accumulated OCI in shareholders’ equity.
The Company recorded a net increase of $33.3 million for the year
ended December 31, 2014 and a net decrease of $37.5 million for
the year ended December 31, 2013. Based on interest rates and
foreign exchange rates at December 31, 2014, the $31.0 million in
cumulative cash flow hedging gains, after tax, at December 31,
2014, is not expected to have a significant effect on earnings over
the next 12 months.
Net Investment Hedges
The Company primarily uses foreign currency denominated debt
(third party and intercompany) to hedge its investments in certain
foreign subsidiaries and affiliates. Realized and unrealized
translation adjustments from these hedges are included in
shareholders’ equity in the foreign currency translation component
of OCI and offset translation adjustments on the underlying net
assets of foreign subsidiaries and affiliates, which also are
recorded in OCI. As of December 31, 2014, $4.6 billion of the
Company’s third party foreign currency denominated debt, $3.8
billion of intercompany foreign currency denominated debt, and
$835.7 million of derivatives were designated to hedge
investments in certain foreign subsidiaries and affiliates.
Credit Risk
The Company is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of
non-performance by the counterparties to its hedging instruments.
The counterparties to these agreements consist of a diverse group
of financial institutions and market participants. The Company
continually monitors its positions and the credit ratings of its
counterparties and adjusts positions as appropriate. The Company
did not have significant exposure to any individual counterparty at
December 31, 2014 and has master agreements that contain
netting arrangements. For financial reporting purposes, the
Company presents gross derivative balances in the financial
statements and supplementary data, even for counterparties
subject to netting arrangements. Some of these agreements also
require each party to post collateral if credit ratings fall below, or
aggregate exposures exceed, certain contractual limits. At
December 31, 2014, neither the Company nor its counterparties
were required to post collateral on any derivative position, other
than on hedges of certain of the Company’s supplemental benefit
plan liabilities where its counterparties were required to post
collateral on their liability positions.
INCOME TAX UNCERTAINTIES
The Company, like other multi-national companies, is regularly
audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities, and tax
assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been
filed. Accordingly, tax liabilities are recorded when, in
management’s judgment, a tax position does not meet the more
likely than not threshold for recognition. For tax positions that meet
the more likely than not threshold, a tax liability may still be
recorded depending on management’s assessment of how the tax
position will ultimately be settled.
The Company records interest and penalties on unrecognized
tax benefits in the provision for income taxes.
Fair Value Hedges
The Company enters into fair value hedges to reduce the
exposure to changes in the fair values of certain liabilities. The
Company's fair value hedges convert a portion of its fixed-rate
debt into floating-rate debt by use of interest rate swaps. At
December 31, 2014, $2.6 billion of the Company's outstanding
fixed-rate debt was effectively converted. All of the Company’s
interest rate swaps meet the shortcut method requirements.
Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps
are exactly offset by changes in the fair value of the underlying
debt. No ineffectiveness has been recorded to net income related
to interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges for the year
ended December 31, 2014.
Cash Flow Hedges
The Company enters into cash flow hedges to reduce the
exposure to variability in certain expected future cash flows. The
types of cash flow hedges the Company enters into include
interest rate swaps, foreign currency forwards, foreign currency
options and cross currency swaps.
The Company periodically uses interest rate swaps to
effectively convert a portion of floating-rate debt, including
forecasted debt issuances, into fixed-rate debt. The agreements
are intended to reduce the impact of interest rate changes on
future interest expense.
To protect against the reduction in value of forecasted foreign
currency cash flows (such as royalties denominated in foreign
currencies), the Company uses foreign currency forwards and
foreign currency options to hedge a portion of anticipated
exposures.
When the U.S. dollar strengthens against foreign currencies,
the decline in value of future foreign denominated royalties is
offset by gains in the fair value of the foreign currency forwards
and/or foreign currency options. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar
weakens, the increase in the value of future foreign denominated
royalties is offset by losses in the fair value of the foreign currency
forwards and/or foreign currency options.
Although the fair value changes in the foreign currency
options may fluctuate over the period of the contract, the
Company’s total loss on a foreign currency option is limited to the
upfront premium paid for the contract; however, the potential gains
on a foreign currency option are unlimited. In some situations, the
Company uses foreign currency collars, which limit the potential
gains and lower the upfront premium paid, to protect against
currency movements.
The hedges cover the next 18 months for certain exposures
and are denominated in various currencies. As of December 31,
2014, the Company had derivatives outstanding with an equivalent
notional amount of $391.1 million that were used to hedge a
portion of forecasted foreign currency denominated royalties.
The Company excludes the time value of foreign currency
options from its effectiveness assessment on its cash flow hedges.
As a result, changes in the fair value of the derivatives due to this
component, as well as the ineffectiveness of the hedges, are
recognized in earnings currently. The effective portion of the gains
or losses on the derivatives is reported in the cash flow hedging
component of OCI in shareholders’ equity and reclassified into
earnings in the same period or periods in which the hedged
transaction affects earnings.
The Company uses cross-currency swaps to hedge the risk of
cash flows associated with certain foreign currency denominated
debt, including forecasted interest payments, and has elected
cash flow hedge accounting. The hedges cover periods up to 27
months and have an equivalent notional amount of $145.1 million.
38 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
38 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
PER COMMON SHARE INFORMATION
Diluted earnings per common share is calculated using net income
divided by diluted weighted-average shares. Diluted weighted-
average shares include weighted-average shares outstanding plus
the dilutive effect of share-based compensation calculated using
the treasury stock method, of (in millions of shares): 2014–5.8;
2013–7.6; 2012–10.1. Stock options that were not included in
diluted weighted-average shares because they would have been
antidilutive were (in millions of shares): 2014–5.3 ; 2013–4.7;
2012–4.7.
The Company has elected to exclude the pro forma deferred
tax asset associated with share-based compensation in earnings
per share.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
The Company considers short-term, highly liquid investments with
an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents.
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date the
financial statements were issued and filed with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). There were no subsequent
events that required recognition or disclosure.
Property and Equipment
Net property and equipment consisted of:
In millions
Land
Buildings and improvements
on owned land
Buildings and improvements
on leased land
Equipment, signs and
seating
Other
Accumulated depreciation
and amortization
Net property and equipment
December 31, 2014
2013
$ 5,788.4
$ 5,849.3
14,322.4
14,715.6
13,284.0
13,825.2
5,113.8
617.5
39,126.1
5,376.8
588.7
40,355.6
Other Operating (Income) Expense, Net
In millions
Gains on sales of restaurant
businesses
Equity in earnings of
unconsolidated affiliates
Asset dispositions and other
expense
Total
2014
2013
2012
$ (137.4) $ (199.4) $ (151.5)
8.9
(78.2)
(143.5)
147.1
30.4
51.5
$ 18.6
$ (247.2) $ (243.5)
Gains on sales of restaurant businesses
The Company’s purchases and sales of businesses with its
franchisees are aimed at achieving an optimal ownership mix in
each market. Resulting gains or losses on sales of restaurant
businesses are recorded in operating income because these
transactions are a recurring part of our business.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates
Unconsolidated affiliates and partnerships are businesses in which
the Company actively participates but does not control. The
Company records equity in earnings from these entities
representing McDonald’s share of results. For foreign affiliated
markets—primarily Japan—results are reported after interest
expense and income taxes. McDonald’s share of results for
partnerships in certain consolidated markets are reported before
income taxes. These partnership restaurants are operated under
conventional franchise arrangements and, therefore, are classified
as conventional franchised restaurants.
Asset dispositions and other expense
Asset dispositions and other expense consists of gains or losses
on excess property and other asset dispositions, provisions for
restaurant closings and uncollectible receivables, asset write-offs
due to restaurant reinvestment, and other miscellaneous income
and expenses.
(14,568.6)
$ 24,557.5
(14,608.3)
$ 25,747.3
Contingencies
Depreciation and amortization expense for property and
equipment was (in millions): 2014–$1,539.3; 2013–$1,498.8;
2012–$1,402.2.
In the ordinary course of business, the Company is subject to
proceedings, lawsuits and other claims primarily related to
competitors, customers, employees, franchisees, government
agencies, intellectual property, shareholders and suppliers. The
Company is required to assess the likelihood of any adverse
judgments or outcomes to these matters as well as potential
ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of
accrual required, if any, for these contingencies is made after
careful analysis of each matter. The required accrual may change
in the future due to new developments in each matter or changes
in approach such as a change in settlement strategy in dealing
with these matters. The Company does not believe that any such
matter currently being reviewed will have a material adverse effect
on its financial condition or results of operations.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 39
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
39
Franchise Arrangements
Leasing Arrangements
Conventional franchise arrangements generally include a lease
and a license and provide for payment of initial fees, as well as
continuing rent and royalties to the Company based upon a
percent of sales with minimum rent payments that parallel the
Company’s underlying leases and escalations (on properties that
are leased). Under this arrangement, franchisees are granted the
right to operate a restaurant using the McDonald’s System and, in
most cases, the use of a restaurant facility, generally for a period
of 20 years. These franchisees pay related occupancy costs
including property taxes, insurance and maintenance. Affiliates
and developmental licensees operating under license agreements
pay a royalty to the Company based upon a percent of sales, and
may pay initial fees.
Revenues from franchised restaurants consisted of:
In millions
Rents
Royalties
Initial fees
Revenues from franchised
restaurants
2014
$ 6,106.7
3,085.1
80.2
2013
$ 6,054.4
3,100.4
76.7
2012
$ 5,863.5
3,032.6
68.4
$ 9,272.0
$ 9,231.5
$ 8,964.5
Future gross minimum rent payments due to the Company
under existing franchise arrangements are:
In millions
Owned sites
Leased sites
Total
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total minimum payments
$ 1,298.3
1,258.0
1,205.3
1,164.5
1,127.1
9,670.7
$15,723.9
$ 1,353.7
1,309.8
1,256.1
1,188.8
1,127.2
8,442.8
$14,678.4
$ 2,652.0
2,567.8
2,461.4
2,353.3
2,254.3
18,113.5
$30,402.3
At December 31, 2014, net property and equipment under
franchise arrangements totaled $15.2 billion (including land of $4.4
billion) after deducting accumulated depreciation and amortization
of $8.2 billion.
At December 31, 2014, the Company was the lessee at 15,059
restaurant locations through ground leases (the Company leases
the land and the Company or franchisee owns the building) and
through improved leases (the Company leases land and
buildings). Lease terms for most restaurants, where market
conditions allow, are generally for 20 years and, in many cases,
provide for rent escalations and renewal options, with certain
leases providing purchase options. Escalation terms vary by
market with examples including fixed-rent escalations, escalations
based on an inflation index, and fair-value market adjustments.
The timing of these escalations generally ranges from annually to
every five years. For most locations, the Company is obligated for
the related occupancy costs including property taxes, insurance
and maintenance; however, for franchised sites, the Company
requires the franchisees to pay these costs. In addition, the
Company is the lessee under non-cancelable leases covering
certain offices and vehicles.
The following table provides detail of rent expense:
In millions
Company-operated
restaurants:
U.S.
Outside the U.S.
Total
Franchised restaurants:
U.S.
Outside the U.S.
Total
Other
Total rent expense
2014
2013
2012
$
61.3
708.3
769.6
$
61.6
713.4
775.0
$
59.1
661.0
720.1
446.3
610.1
1,056.4
106.3
$ 1,932.3
441.6
572.0
1,013.6
104.0
$ 1,892.6
433.0
519.7
952.7
104.2
$ 1,777.0
Rent expense included percent rents in excess of minimum
rents (in millions) as follows–Company-operated restaurants:
2014–$164.2; 2013–$175.6; 2012–$169.6. Franchised
restaurants: 2014–$182.8; 2013–$187.4; 2012–$178.7.
Future minimum payments required under existing operating
leases with initial terms of one year or more are:
In millions
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Thereafter
Total minimum payments
Restaurant
$ 1,305.3
1,222.2
1,107.8
995.4
905.3
7,178.7
$12,714.7
Other
$ 76.5
66.7
55.4
48.7
41.4
156.8
$ 445.5
Total
$ 1,381.8
1,288.9
1,163.2
1,044.1
946.7
7,335.5
$13,160.2
40 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
40 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Income Taxes
The statutory U.S. federal income tax rate reconciles to the
effective income tax rates as follows:
Income before provision for income taxes, classified by source of
income, was as follows:
In millions
U.S.
Outside the U.S.
Income before provision for
income taxes
2014
$ 2,681.9
4,690.1
2013
$ 2,912.7
5,291.8
2012
$ 2,879.7
5,199.3
$ 7,372.0
$ 8,204.5
$ 8,079.0
The provision for income taxes, classified by the timing and
location of payment, was as follows:
In millions
U.S. federal
U.S. state
Outside the U.S.
Current tax provision
U.S. federal
U.S. state
Outside the U.S.
Deferred tax provision
Provision for income taxes
2014
$ 1,124.8
148.4
1,431.7
2,704.9
(81.8)
(6.2)
(2.7)
(90.7)
$ 2,614.2
2013
$ 1,238.2
175.0
1,180.2
2,593.4
46.2
(6.7)
(14.3)
25.2
$ 2,618.6
2012
$ 1,129.9
189.8
1,160.0
2,479.7
144.9
5.5
(15.9)
134.5
$ 2,614.2
Net deferred tax liabilities consisted of:
In millions
Property and equipment
Other
Total deferred tax liabilities
Property and equipment
Employee benefit plans
Intangible assets
Deferred foreign tax credits
Operating loss carryforwards
Other
December 31, 2014
$ 1,754.6
907.0
2,661.6
(394.4)
(400.3)
(252.2)
(272.9)
(286.5)
(331.2)
2013
$ 1,812.4
639.8
2,452.2
(407.9)
(388.9)
(210.1)
(192.3)
(154.0)
(347.6)
Total deferred tax assets
before valuation allowance
Valuation allowance
Net deferred tax liabilities
Balance sheet presentation:
Deferred income taxes
Other assets-miscellaneous
Current assets-prepaid expenses
and other current assets
Net deferred tax liabilities
(1,937.5)
287.9
$ 1,012.0
(1,700.8)
172.8
$ 924.2
$ 1,624.5
(591.2)
$ 1,647.7
(621.4)
(21.3)
$ 1,012.0
(102.1)
$ 924.2
At December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating loss
carryforwards of $1.1 billion, of which $760 million has an
indefinite carryforward. The remainder will expire at various dates
from 2015 to 2031.
The Company's effective income tax rate is typically lower
than the U.S. statutory tax rate primarily because non-U.S. income
is generally subject to local statutory country tax rates that are
below the 35% U.S. statutory tax rate and reflect the impact of
global transfer pricing. For 2014, the effective income tax rate is
higher than in 2013 primarily due to changes in tax reserves
related to certain foreign tax matters.
Statutory U.S. federal income tax rate
State income taxes, net of related
federal income tax benefit
Foreign income taxed at different
rates
Taxes related to unfavorable lower tax
court ruling and audit progression
in foreign tax jurisdictions
Other, net
Effective income tax rates
2013
2014
35.0% 35.0% 35.0%
2012
1.6
1.3
1.6
(4.8)
(5.1)
(4.9)
—
4.1
0.7
(0.4)
35.5% 31.9% 32.4%
—
0.7
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s gross
unrecognized tax benefits totaled $988.1 million and $512.7
million, respectively. After considering the deferred tax accounting
impact, it is expected that about $580 million of the total as of
December 31, 2014 would favorably affect the effective tax rate if
resolved in the Company’s favor.
The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning
and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits:
In millions
Balance at January 1
Decreases for positions taken in prior years
Increases for positions taken in prior years
Increases for positions related to the current
year
Settlements with taxing authorities
Lapsing of statutes of limitations
Balance at December 31(1)
2014
$ 512.7
(19.5)
504.7
2013
$ 482.4
(38.3)
29.4
80.7
(78.0)
(12.5)
53.8
(2.4)
(12.2)
$ 988.1
$ 512.7
(1) Of this amount, $909.0 million and $495.1 million are included in Other
long-term liabilities for 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $19.5 million and
$16.8 million are included in Current liabilities - income taxes for 2014 and
2013, respectively, on the Consolidated balance sheet. The remainder is
included in Deferred income taxes on the Consolidated balance sheet.
In 2014, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") concluded its
field examination of the Company's 2009 and 2010 U.S. federal
income tax returns. In connection with this examination, the
Company agreed to certain adjustments that have been proposed
by the IRS and appropriately accounted for these adjustments in
accordance with ASC 740. Also in connection with this
examination, the Company received notices of proposed
adjustments ("NOPAs") related to certain transfer pricing matters.
The Company disagrees with the IRS' proposed adjustments and
will file a protest with the IRS Appeals Office in 2015. The
Company is also under audit in multiple foreign tax jurisdictions for
matters primarily related to transfer pricing and exempt income. In
addition, the Company is under audit in multiple state tax
jurisdictions. It is reasonably possible that the total amount of
unrecognized tax benefits could decrease within the next 12
months by $120 million to $390 million, of which $10 million to $60
million could favorably affect the effective tax rate. This would be
due to the expected settlement of the 2009 and 2010 IRS agreed-
upon adjustments, the possible settlement of the 2009 and 2010
IRS protest, completion of the aforementioned foreign and state
tax audits and the expiration of the statute of limitations in multiple
tax jurisdictions.
In addition, it is reasonably possible that, as a result of audit
progression in both the U.S. and foreign tax audits within the next
12 months, there may be new information that causes the
Company to reassess the total amount of unrecognized tax
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 41
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
41
benefits recorded. While the Company cannot estimate the impact
that new information may have on our unrecognized tax benefit
balance, we believe that the liabilities recorded are appropriate
and adequate as determined under ASC 740.
The Company operates within multiple tax jurisdictions and is
subject to audit in these jurisdictions. For U.S. federal and major
state tax jurisdictions, the Company is generally no longer subject
to income tax examinations for years prior to 2009. With respect to
major foreign tax jurisdictions, with limited exceptions, the
Company and its subsidiaries are no longer subject to income tax
audits for years prior to 2007.
The Company had $119.0 million and $55.4 million accrued
for interest and penalties at December 31, 2014 and 2013,
respectively. The Company recognized interest and penalties
related to tax matters of $87.9 million in 2014, $14.4 million in
2013, and $11.2 million in 2012, which are included in the
provision for income taxes.
Deferred U.S. income taxes have not been recorded for
temporary differences related to investments in certain foreign
subsidiaries and corporate joint ventures. These temporary
differences were approximately $15.4 billion at December 31,
2014 and consisted primarily of undistributed earnings considered
permanently invested in operations outside the U.S. Determination
of the deferred income tax liability on these unremitted earnings is
not practicable because such liability, if any, is dependent on
circumstances existing if and when remittance occurs.
Employee Benefit Plans
The Company’s Profit Sharing and Savings Plan for U.S.-based
employees includes a 401(k) feature, a regular employer match,
and a discretionary employer match. The 401(k) feature allows
participants to make pretax contributions that are matched each
pay period from shares released under the ESOP. The Profit
Sharing and Savings Plan also provides for a discretionary
employer match after the end of the year for those participants
eligible to share in the match.
All current account balances, future contributions and related
earnings can be invested in several investment alternatives as
well as McDonald’s common stock in accordance with each
participant’s elections. Participants’ future contributions to the
401(k) feature are limited to 20% investment in McDonald’s
common stock. Participants may choose to make separate
investment choices for current account balances and for future
contributions.
The Company also maintains certain nonqualified
supplemental benefit plans that allow participants to (i) make tax-
deferred contributions and (ii) receive Company-provided
allocations that cannot be made under the Profit Sharing and
Savings Plan because of IRS limitations. The investment
alternatives and returns are based on certain market-rate
investment alternatives under the Profit Sharing and Savings Plan.
Total liabilities were $534.0 million at December 31, 2014, and
$531.1 million at December 31, 2013, and were primarily included
in other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated balance sheet.
The Company has entered into derivative contracts to hedge
market-driven changes in certain of the liabilities. At December 31,
2014, derivatives with a fair value of $115.9 million indexed to the
Company's stock and a total return swap with a notional amount of
$206.3 million indexed to certain market indices were included at
their fair value in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on
the Consolidated balance sheet. Changes in liabilities for these
nonqualified plans and in the fair value of the derivatives are
recorded primarily in Selling, general & administrative expenses.
Changes in fair value of the derivatives indexed to the Company’s
stock are recorded in the income statement because the contracts
provide the counterparty with a choice to settle in cash or shares.
42 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
42 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Total U.S. costs for the Profit Sharing and Savings Plan,
including nonqualified benefits and related hedging activities, were
(in millions): 2014–$29.1; 2013–$21.9; 2012–$27.9. Certain
subsidiaries outside the U.S. also offer profit sharing, stock
purchase or other similar benefit plans. Total plan costs outside
the U.S. were (in millions): 2014–$54.4; 2013–$51.2; 2012–$62.5.
The total combined liabilities for international retirement plans
were $74.7 million and $75.0 million at December 31, 2014 and
2013, respectively. Other post-retirement benefits and post-
employment benefits were immaterial.
Segment and Geographic Information
The Company operates in the global restaurant industry and
manages its business as distinct geographic segments. All
intercompany revenues and expenses are eliminated in computing
revenues and operating income. Corporate general and
administrative expenses are included in Other Countries &
Corporate and consist of home office support costs in areas such
as facilities, finance, human resources, information technology,
legal, marketing, restaurant operations, supply chain and training.
Corporate assets include corporate cash and equivalents, asset
portions of financial instruments and home office facilities.
In millions
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries &
Corporate
Total revenues
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries &
Corporate
Total operating income
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries &
Corporate
Total assets
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries &
Corporate
Total capital
expenditures
U.S.
Europe
APMEA
Other Countries &
Corporate
2014
$ 8,651.0
11,077.4
6,324.4
2013
$ 8,851.3
11,299.8
6,477.2
2012
$ 8,813.7
10,827.4
6,391.1
1,388.5
$ 27,441.3
$ 3,522.5
3,280.2
1,066.4
80.1
$ 7,949.2
$ 11,872.1
12,811.1
5,884.8
3,713.4
$ 34,281.4
736.1
$
1,157.5
548.8
1,477.4
$ 28,105.7
$ 3,779.3
3,370.6
1,479.7
134.7
$ 8,764.3
$ 11,711.8
15,096.3
6,202.7
3,615.5
$ 36,626.3
875.5
$
1,157.3
654.6
1,534.8
$ 27,567.0
$ 3,750.4
3,195.8
1,566.1
92.3
$ 8,604.6
$ 11,431.6
14,223.3
6,419.3
3,312.3
$ 35,386.5
$ 1,065.0
1,114.7
716.6
141.0
137.3
152.9
$ 2,583.4
512.2
$
659.6
338.4
$ 2,824.7
503.6
$
627.1
319.2
$ 3,049.2
477.1
$
573.5
296.2
134.3
135.2
141.7
Total depreciation and
amortization
$ 1,644.5
$ 1,585.1
$ 1,488.5
Total long-lived assets, primarily property and equipment,
were (in millions)–Consolidated: 2014–$29,264.7; 2013–
$30,679.8; 2012–$29,644.5; U.S. based: 2014–$11,883.1; 2013–
$11,632.2; 2012–$11,308.7.
Debt Financing
LINE OF CREDIT AGREEMENTS
At December 31, 2014, the Company had a $2.5 billion line of credit agreement expiring in December 2019 with fees of 0.060% per annum
on the total commitment, which remained unused. Fees and interest rates on this line are based on the Company’s long-term credit rating
assigned by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. In addition, the Company's subsidiaries had unused lines of credit that were primarily
uncommitted, short-term and denominated in various currencies at local market rates of interest.
The weighted-average interest rate of short-term borrowings was 4.1% at December 31, 2014 (based on $862.9 million of foreign
currency bank line borrowings and $200.0 million of commercial paper) and 5.1% at December 31, 2013 (based on $609.7 million of foreign
currency bank line borrowings).
DEBT OBLIGATIONS
The Company has incurred debt obligations principally through public and private offerings and bank loans. There are no provisions in the
Company’s debt obligations that would accelerate repayment of debt as a result of a change in credit ratings or a material adverse change
in the Company’s business. Certain of the Company’s debt obligations contain cross-acceleration provisions, and restrictions on Company
and subsidiary mortgages and the long-term debt of certain subsidiaries. Under certain agreements, the Company has the option to retire
debt prior to maturity, either at par or at a premium over par. The Company has no current plans to retire a significant amount of its debt
prior to maturity.
ESOP LOANS
Borrowings related to the leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP") at December 31, 2014, which include $16.0 million of loans
from the Company to the ESOP, are reflected as debt with a corresponding reduction of shareholders’ equity (additional paid-in capital
included a balance of $13.7 million and $19.9 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively). The ESOP is repaying the loans and
interest through 2018 using Company contributions and dividends from its McDonald’s common stock holdings. As the principal amount of
the borrowings is repaid, the debt and the unearned ESOP compensation (additional paid-in capital) are reduced.
The following table summarizes the Company’s debt obligations (interest rates and debt amounts reflected in the table include the
effects of interest rate swaps).
Interest rates(1)
December 31
Amounts outstanding
December 31
In millions of U.S. Dollars
Fixed
Floating
Total U.S. Dollars
Fixed
Floating
Total Euro
Total British Pounds Sterling - Fixed
Total Chinese Renminbi - Floating
Fixed
Floating
Total Japanese Yen
Fixed
Floating
Total other currencies(2)
Debt obligations before fair value adjustments(3)
Fair value adjustments(4)
Total debt obligations(5)
(1) Weighted-average effective rate, computed on a semi-annual basis.
(2) Primarily consists of Swiss Francs and Korean Won.
Maturity dates
2014
2013
4.5%
3.2
4.6%
3.2
2015-2043
2015-2029
2020-2054
2015
2016-2030
2015-2056
3.2
2.9
5.3
5.6
2.9
0.3
2.1
4.0
3.3
2.8
6.0
5.4
2.9
0.4
1.9
3.6
2014
$ 6,604.7
2,450.0
9,054.7
3,014.7
320.3
3,335.0
1,163.3
630.1
104.3
208.6
312.9
268.3
220.7
489.0
14,985.0
4.7
2013
$ 6,460.6
1,900.0
8,360.6
2,884.9
357.2
3,242.1
744.3
525.1
118.7
759.8
878.5
281.0
85.4
366.4
14,117.0
12.8
$14,989.7
$14,129.8
(3) Aggregate maturities for 2014 debt balances, before fair value adjustments, were as follows (in millions): 2015–$0.0; 2016–$830.7; 2017–$1,069.1; 2018–
$1,005.0; 2019–$2,979.3; Thereafter–$9,100.9. These amounts include a reclassification of short-term obligations totaling $2.2 billion to long-term obligations as
they are supported by a long-term line of credit agreement expiring in December 2019.
(4) The carrying value of underlying items in fair value hedges, in this case debt obligations, are adjusted for fair value changes to the extent they are attributable to
the risk designated as being hedged. The related hedging instrument is also recorded at fair value in prepaid expenses and other current assets, miscellaneous
other assets or other long-term liabilities.
(5) The net increase in 2014 was primarily due to net issuances of $1.5 billion partly offset by changes in exchange rates on foreign currency denominated debt of
$663 million.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 43
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
43
Share-based Compensation
The Company maintains a share-based compensation plan which authorizes the granting of various equity-based incentives including stock
options and restricted stock units (RSUs) to employees and nonemployee directors. The number of shares of common stock reserved for
issuance under the plans was 67.6 million at December 31, 2014, including 42.0 million available for future grants.
STOCK OPTIONS
Stock options to purchase common stock are granted with an exercise price equal to the closing market price of the Company’s stock on the
date of grant. Substantially all of the options become exercisable in four equal installments, beginning a year from the date of the grant, and
generally expire 10 years from the grant date.
Intrinsic value for stock options is defined as the difference between the current market value of the Company’s stock and the exercise
price. During 2014, 2013 and 2012, the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $258.9 million, $325.2 million and $469.8 million,
respectively. Cash received from stock options exercised during 2014 was $235.4 million and the tax benefit realized from stock options
exercised totaled $80.8 million. The Company uses treasury shares purchased under the Company’s share repurchase program to satisfy
share-based exercises.
A summary of the status of the Company’s stock option grants as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, and changes during the years
then ended, is presented in the following table:
Options
Outstanding at beginning of year
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited/expired
Outstanding at end of year
Exercisable at end of year
Shares in
millions
25.1
3.9
(5.1)
(0.5)
23.4
14.4
Weighted-
average
exercise
price
$ 69.15
95.13
46.09
94.56
$ 77.99
$ 67.76
Weighted-
average
remaining
contractual
life in years
2014
Aggregate
intrinsic
value in
millions
6.1
4.8
$ 403.6
$ 389.9
2013
Weighted-
average
exercise
price
$ 59.86
94.36
40.12
79.15
$ 69.15
Shares in
millions
27.4
3.7
(5.7)
(0.3)
25.1
15.6
2012
Weighted-
average
exercise
price
$ 47.77
99.63
38.51
55.28
$ 59.86
Shares in
millions
31.7
4.9
(8.6)
(0.6)
27.4
17.1
RSUs
RSUs generally vest 100% on the third anniversary of the grant and are payable in either shares of McDonald’s common stock or cash, at
the Company’s discretion. Certain executives have been awarded RSUs that vest based on Company performance. The fair value of each
RSU granted is equal to the market price of the Company’s stock at date of grant less the present value of expected dividends over the
vesting period.
A summary of the Company’s RSU activity during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is presented in the following
table:
RSUs
Nonvested at beginning of year
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Nonvested at end of year
2014
Weighted-
average
grant date
fair value
$ 78.89
85.12
69.29
85.16
$ 83.49
Shares in
millions
2.0
0.9
(0.6)
(0.1)
2.2
2013
Weighted-
average
grant date
fair value
$ 68.23
83.98
56.93
82.44
$ 78.89
Shares in
millions
1.8
1.0
(0.7)
(0.1)
2.0
2012
Weighted-
average
grant date
fair value
$ 56.78
90.34
50.69
68.72
$ 68.23
Shares in
millions
2.1
0.5
(0.8)
0.0
1.8
The total fair value of RSUs vested during 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $54.9 million, $60.2 million and $76.4 million, respectively. The tax
benefit realized from RSUs vested during 2014 was $16.5 million.
44 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
44 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Quarterly Results (Unaudited)
In millions, except per share data
Revenues
Sales by Company-operated
restaurants
Revenues from franchised
restaurants
Total revenues
Company-operated margin
Franchised margin
Operating income
Net income
Earnings per common
share—basic
Earnings per common
share—diluted
Dividends declared per
common share
Weighted-average
common shares—basic
Weighted-average
common shares—diluted
Market price per common
share:
High
Low
Close
Quarters ended
December 31
2013
2014
Quarters ended
September 30
2013
2014
Quarters ended
June 30
2013
2014
Quarters ended
March 31
2013
2014
$ 4,296.7
$ 4,744.3
$ 4,596.2 $ 4,923.1
$ 4,785.9
$ 4,761.4
$ 4,490.5
$4,445.4
2,275.5
6,572.2
620.0
1,854.1
1,751.7
$ 1,097.5
2,348.9
7,093.2
815.6
1,927.2
2,200.4
$ 1,397.0
$
$
1.14
1.13
$
$
1.41
1.40
2,390.9
6,987.1
721.5
1,959.7
2,072.5
2,400.3
7,323.4
918.7
1,991.9
2,416.7
$ 1,068.4 $ 1,522.2
$
$
$
1.09 $
1.53
1.09 $
1.52
1.66
(1) $
1.58 (2)
2,395.8
7,181.7
816.1
1,968.2
2,189.0
$ 1,387.1
2,322.4
7,083.8
841.9
1,923.3
2,197.7
$ 1,396.5
$
$
$
1.40
1.40
0.81
$
$
$
1.39
1.38
0.77
2,209.8
6,700.3
723.4
1,792.7
1,936.0
$ 1,204.8
2,159.9
6,605.3
719.4
1,764.7
1,949.5
$1,270.2
$
$
$
1.22
1.21
0.81
$
$
$
1.27
1.26
0.77
966.6
992.5
978.7
997.3
987.4
1,001.4
989.6
1,002.7
971.5
999.3
983.8
1,004.2
993.2
1,008.7
995.9
1,010.8
$ 97.50
87.62
93.70
$ 99.27
93.14
97.03
$ 101.36 $ 101.81
94.01
96.21
90.53
94.81
$ 103.78
96.52
100.74
$ 103.70
95.16
99.00
$ 99.07
92.22
98.03
$ 99.78
89.25
99.69
(1)
Includes a $0.81 per share dividend declared and paid in third quarter and a $0.85 per share dividend declared in third quarter and paid in fourth quarter.
(2)
Includes a $0.77 per share dividend declared and paid in third quarter and a $0.81 per share dividend declared in third quarter and paid in fourth quarter.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 45
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
45
Management’s Assessment of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The financial statements were prepared by management, which is responsible for their integrity and objectivity and for establishing and
maintaining adequate internal controls over financial reporting.
The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The
Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
I.
pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the
assets of the Company;
II. provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made
only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and
III. provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the
Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
There are inherent limitations in the effectiveness of any internal control, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or
overriding of controls. Accordingly, even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurances with respect to financial
statement preparation. Further, because of changes in conditions, the effectiveness of internal controls may vary over time.
Management assessed the design and effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. In
making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013 Framework).
Based on management’s assessment using those criteria, as of December 31, 2014, management believes that the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting is effective.
Ernst & Young, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. Their
reports are presented on the following pages. The independent registered public accountants and internal auditors advise management of
the results of their audits, and make recommendations to improve the system of internal controls. Management evaluates the audit
recommendations and takes appropriate action.
McDONALD’S CORPORATION
February 24, 2015
46 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
46 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of McDonald’s Corporation
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of McDonald’s Corporation as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the
related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the
period ended December 31, 2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of
material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as
evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of
McDonald’s Corporation at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the
three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), McDonald’s
Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated
February 24, 2015, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 24, 2015
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 47
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
47
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of McDonald’s Corporation
We have audited McDonald's Corporation's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014 based on criteria established in
Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013
framework) (the COSO criteria). McDonald’s Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying
report on Management’s Assessment of Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial
reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting,
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based
on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of
records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection
of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions,
or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, McDonald’s Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the
consolidated financial statements of McDonald’s Corporation as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for each of the three years in the
period ended December 31, 2014, and our report dated February 24, 2015, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 24, 2015
48 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
48 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements With
Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure
None.
ITEM 9B. Other Information
None.
PART III
ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures
DISCLOSURE CONTROLS
An evaluation was conducted under the supervision and with the
participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief
Executive Officer ("CEO") and Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), of
the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2014.
Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that the
Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as
of such date to ensure that information required to be disclosed in
the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time
periods specified in SEC rules and forms.
INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO,
confirm that there was no change in the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting during the quarter ended
December 31, 2014 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting.
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT
Management’s Report and the Report of Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over Financial
Reporting are set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and
Corporate Governance
Information regarding (i) directors and the Company’s Code of
Conduct for the Board of Directors and (ii) its Standards of
Business Conduct, which applies to all officers and employees, is
incorporated herein by reference from the Company’s definitive
proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after
December 31, 2014. We will post any amendments to or any
waivers for directors and executive officers from provisions of the
above-referenced documents on the Company’s website at
www.governance.mcdonalds.com.
Information regarding all of the Company’s executive officers
is included in Part I, page 9 of this Form 10-K.
ITEM 11. Executive Compensation
Incorporated herein by reference from the Company’s definitive
proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after
December 31, 2014.
ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder
Matters
The following table summarizes information about the Company’s equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2014. All outstanding
awards relate to the Company’s common stock. Shares issued under all of the following plans may be from the Company’s treasury, newly
issued or both.
Equity compensation plan information
Plan category
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
Total
Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under
equity compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column (a))
(a)
25,604,026 (1) $
56,228 (2)
25,660,254 $
(b)
78.56
35.21
78.46
(c)
41,984,937
41,984,937
(1)
Includes 16,065,874 stock options and 508,884 restricted stock units granted under the McDonald’s Corporation 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan and
7,323,096 stock options and 1,706,172 restricted stock units granted under the McDonald's Corporation 2012 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan.
(2)
Includes 56,228 stock options granted under the 1992 Stock Ownership Plan.
Additional matters incorporated herein by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed no later than
120 days after December 31, 2014.
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 49
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
49
ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions, and Director Independence
ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and
Services
Incorporated herein by reference from the Company’s definitive
proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after
December 31, 2014.
Incorporated herein by reference from the Company’s definitive
proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after
December 31, 2014.
PART IV
ITEM 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
a.
(1) All financial statements
Consolidated financial statements filed as part of this report are listed under Part II, Item 8, pages 29 through 44 of this Form 10-K.
(2) Financial statement schedules
No schedules are required because either the required information is not present or is not present in amounts sufficient to require
submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes
thereto.
b.
Exhibits
The exhibits listed in the accompanying index are filed as part of this report.
McDonald’s Corporation Exhibit Index (Item 15)
Exhibit Number
(3)
(a) Restated Certificate of Incorporation, effective as of June 14, 2012, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q,
for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.
(b) By-Laws, as amended and restated with effect as of July 19, 2012, incorporated herein by reference from Form 8-K,
filed July 20, 2012.
Description
(4)
Instruments defining the rights of security holders, including Indentures:*
(a) Senior Debt Securities Indenture, incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit (4)(a) of Form S-3 Registration
Statement (File No. 333-14141), filed October 15, 1996.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
6 3/8% Debentures due 2028. Supplemental Indenture No. 1, dated January 8, 1998, incorporated herein by
reference from Exhibit (4)(a) of Form 8-K, filed January 13, 1998.
Medium-Term Notes, Series F, Due from 1 Year to 60 Years from Date of Issue. Supplemental Indenture No.
4, incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit (4)(c) of Form S-3 Registration Statement (File No.
333-59145), filed July 15, 1998.
Medium-Term Notes, Series I, Due from 1 Year to 60 Years from Date of Issue. Supplemental Indenture No. 8,
incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit (4)(c) of Form S-3 Registration Statement (File No.
333-139431), filed December 15, 2006.
Medium-Term Notes, Due from One Year to 60 Years from Date of Issue. Supplemental Indenture No. 9,
incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit (4)(c) of Form S-3 Registration Statement (File No.
333-162182), filed September 28, 2009.
(b) Subordinated Debt Securities Indenture, incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit (4)(b) of Form S-3 Registration
Statement (File No. 333-14141), filed October 15, 1996.
(10)
Material Contracts
(a) Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan, effective as of January 1, 2008, incorporated herein by reference from
Form 8-K, filed December 4, 2007.**
(b) McDonald’s Excess Benefit and Deferred Bonus Plan, effective January 1, 2011, as amended and restated
March 22, 2010, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.**
(c) McDonald’s Corporation Supplemental Profit Sharing and Savings Plan, effective as of September 1, 2001,
incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2001.**
(i)
(ii)
First Amendment to the McDonald’s Corporation Supplemental Profit Sharing and Savings Plan, effective as
of January 1, 2002, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31,
2002.**
Second Amendment to the McDonald’s Corporation Supplemental Profit Sharing and Savings Plan, effective
January 1, 2005, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2004.**
(d) 1992 Stock Ownership Incentive Plan, as amended and restated January 1, 2001, incorporated herein by reference
from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2001.**
50 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
50 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
(i)
First Amendment to McDonald’s Corporation 1992 Stock Ownership Incentive Plan, as amended and restated,
effective as of February 14, 2007, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended
March 31, 2007.**
(e) McDonald’s Corporation Executive Retention Replacement Plan, effective as of December 31, 2007 (as amended
and restated on December 31, 2008), incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended
December 31, 2008.**
(f) McDonald’s Corporation Amended and Restated 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, effective July 1, 2008,
incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.**
(i)
(ii)
First Amendment to the McDonald’s Corporation Amended and Restated 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership
Plan, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2008.**
Second Amendment to the McDonald’s Corporation Amended and Restated 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership
Plan as amended, effective February 9, 2011, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year
ended December 31, 2010.**
(g) McDonald's Corporation 2012 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, effective June 1, 2012, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.**
(h) McDonald’s Corporation 2009 Cash Incentive Plan, effective as of May 27, 2009, incorporated herein by reference
from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.**
(i) McDonald's Corporation Target Incentive Plan, effective January 1, 2013, incorporated herein by reference from Form
10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.**
(j) McDonald's Corporation Cash Performance Unit Plan, effective February 13, 2013, incorporated herein by reference
from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.**
(k) Form of Executive Stock Option Grant Agreement in connection with the Amended and Restated 2001 Omnibus
Stock Ownership Plan, as amended, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended
December 31, 2011.**
(l)
Form of Executive Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement in connection with the Amended and
Restated 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, as amended, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-K, for
the year ended December 31, 2011.**
(m) Form of Executive Stock Option Award Agreement in connection with the 2012 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan,
incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.**
(n) Form of Executive Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement in connection with the 2012 Omnibus
Stock Ownership Plan, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.**
(o) Form of Special CPUP Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement in connection with the 2012
Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31,
2013.**
(p) McDonald’s Corporation Severance Plan, as Amended and Restated, effective September 9, 2013, incorporated
herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended September 30, 2013.**
(q) Form of McDonald's Corporation Tier I Change of Control Employment Agreement, incorporated herein by reference
from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.**
(r) Amended Assignment Agreement between Timothy Fenton and the Company, dated January 2008, incorporated
herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2008.**
(i)
2009 Amendment to the Amended Assignment Agreement between Timothy Fenton and the Company,
effective as of January 1, 2009, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended
March 31, 2009.**
(s) Description of Restricted Stock Units granted to Andrew J. McKenna, incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-
Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.**
(t) Executive Supplement describing the special terms of equity compensation awards granted to certain executive
officers, pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2001 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, as amended,
incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.**
(u) Separation Agreement between Janice Fields and the Company, dated May 15, 2013, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.**
(v) Later Date Agreement between Janice Fields and the Company, dated May 15, 2013, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.**
(w) Assignment Agreement between Douglas Goare and the Company, effective January 1, 2012, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2013.**
(x) Assignment Agreement between David Hoffmann and the Company, effective April 13, 2011, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. **
(y) Form of 2014 Executive Stock Option Award Agreement in connection with the 2012 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan,
incorporated herein by reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended March 31, 2014.**
(z) Retirement Agreement between Timothy Fenton and the Company, dated July 9, 2014, incorporated herein by
reference from Form 10-Q, for the quarter ended September 30, 2014.**
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 51
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
51
(12)
(21)
(23)
(24)
(31.1)
(31.2)
(32.1)
(32.2)
Computation of Ratios.
Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Power of Attorney.
Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer.
Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 by the Chief Executive Officer, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 by the Chief Executive Officer, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
(101.INS)
XBRL Instance Document.
(101.SCH)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
(101.CAL)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
(101.DEF)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
(101.LAB)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
(101.PRE)
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
* Other instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term debt of the registrant, and all of its subsidiaries for which consolidated
financial statements are required to be filed and which are not required to be registered with the Commission, are not included herein
as the securities authorized under these instruments, individually, do not exceed 10% of the total assets of the registrant and its
subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. An agreement to furnish a copy of any such instruments to the Commission upon request has
been filed with the Commission.
** Denotes compensatory plan.
52 McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report
52 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
By
By
By
By
By
By
By
Signature, Title
/s/ Cary D. McMillan
Cary D. McMillan
Director
/s/ Kevin M. Ozan
Kevin M. Ozan
Corporate Senior Vice President – Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Sheila A. Penrose
Sheila A. Penrose
Director
John W. Rogers, Jr.
Director
/s/ Roger W. Stone
Roger W. Stone
Director
/s/ Donald Thompson
Donald Thompson
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Miles D. White
Miles D. White
Director
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
McDonald’s Corporation
(Registrant)
By
/s/ Peter J. Bensen
Peter J. Bensen
Corporate Senior Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
February 24, 2015
Date
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of the registrant and in their capacities
indicated below on the 24th day of February, 2015:
By
By
By
By
By
By
By
By
By
Signature, Title
/s/ Susan E. Arnold
Susan E. Arnold
Director
/s/ Peter J. Bensen
Peter J. Bensen
Corporate Senior Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Robert A. Eckert
Robert A. Eckert
Director
/s/ Margaret H. Georgiadis
Margaret H. Georgiadis
Director
/s/ Enrique Hernandez, Jr.
Enrique Hernandez, Jr.
Director
Jeanne P. Jackson
Director
/s/ Richard H. Lenny
Richard H. Lenny
Director
/s/ Walter E. Massey
Walter E. Massey
Director
/s/ Andrew J. McKenna
Andrew J. McKenna
Chairman of the Board and Director
McDonald's Corporation 2014 Annual Report 53
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
53
Stock Performance Graph
Stock Performance Graph
At least annually, we consider which companies comprise a
readily identifiable investment peer group. McDonald’s is included
in published restaurant indices; however, unlike most other
companies included in these indices, which have no or limited
international operations, McDonald’s does business in more
than 100 countries and a substantial portion of our revenues
and income is generated outside the U.S. In addition, because
of our size, McDonald’s inclusion in those indices tends to skew
the results. Therefore, we believe that such a comparison is
not meaningful.
Our market capitalization, trading volume and importance in
an industry that is vital to the U.S. economy have resulted in
McDonald’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
since 1985. Like McDonald’s, many DJIA companies generate
meaningful revenues and income outside the U.S. and some
manage global brands. Thus, we believe that the use of the DJIA
companies as the group for comparison purposes is appropriate.
The following performance graph shows McDonald’s cumulative
total shareholder returns (i.e., price appreciation and reinvestment
of dividends) relative to the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index
(S&P 500 Index) and to the DJIA companies for the five -year
period ended December 31, 2014. The graph assumes that the
value of an investment in McDonald’s common stock, the S&P
500 Index and the DJIA companies (including McDonald’s) was
$100 at December 31, 2009. For the DJIA companies, returns
are weighted for market capitalization as of the beginning of each
period indicated. These returns may vary from those of the Dow
Jones Industrial Average Index, which is not weighted by market
capitalization, and may be composed of different companies
during the period under consideration.
Comparison of Cumulative Five-Year Total Return
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0
McDonald's Corporation
S&P 500 Index
Dow Jones Industrials
Source: S&P Capital IQ
Dec '09
100
100
100
Dec '10
127
115
114
Dec '11
171
117
124
Dec '12
155
136
136
Dec '13
176
180
177
Dec '14
176
205
194
54 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Executive Officers
Executive Officers
Michael D. Andres
President, McDonald’s USA
Jose Armario
Corporate EVP — Global Supply Chain,
Development, Franchising and Sustainability
Peter J. Bensen
Chief Administrative Officer
Stephen J. Easterbrook
President and Chief Executive Officer
Richard Floersch
Corporate EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer
Douglas M. Goare
President, McDonald’s Europe
David L. Hoffmann
President, McDonald’s APMEA
Brian Mullens
Corporate SVP and Controller
Kevin M. Ozan
Corporate EVP and Chief Financial Officer
Gloria Santona
Corporate EVP, General Counsel and Secretary
James R. Sappington
Corporate EVP — Operations and Technology
Systems
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
55
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Director
Susan E. Arnold 2, 3
Operating Executive, Global Consumer & Retail Group
The Carlyle Group
Stephen J. Easterbrook 4
President and Chief Executive Officer
McDonald’s Corporation
Robert A. Eckert 2, 4, 6
Operating Partner
Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe, LLC
Margaret H. Georgiadis
President, Americas
Google Inc.
Enrique Hernandez, Jr.1,4, 6
President and Chief Executive Officer
Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc.
Jeanne P. Jackson 5, 6
President, Product and Merchandising
NIKE, Inc.
Richard H. Lenny 2, 3, 5
Non-executive Chairman
Information Resources, Inc.
Walter E. Massey 1, 3
President
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Andrew J. McKenna 4, 6
Chairman of the Board
McDonald’s Corporation
Chairman
Schwarz Supply Source
Cary D. McMillan1,5
Chief Executive Officer
True Partners Consulting LLC
Sheila A. Penrose 1, 3
Non-executive Chairman
Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated
John W. Rogers, Jr. 2, 3, 5
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Ariel Investments, LLC
Roger W. Stone1, 5, 6
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation
Miles D. White 2,4, 6
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Abbott Laboratories
1. Audit Committee
2. Compensation Committee
3. Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee
4. Executive Committee
5. Finance Committee
6. Governance Committee
56 McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
Investor Information
Investor Information
Common stock
Ticker symbol: MCD
Stock exchange listing: New York
The number of shareholders of record and beneficial
owners of the Company’s common stock as of
January 31, 2015, was estimated to be 1,663,000.
McDonald’s home office
McDonald’s Corporation
One McDonald’s Plaza
Oak Brook, IL 60523
1.630.623.3000
McDonald’s online
Investor information
www.investor.mcdonalds.com
Corporate governance
www.governance.mcdonalds.com
Corporate social responsibility
www.crmcdonalds.com
General information
www.aboutmcdonalds.com
Key phone numbers
Shareholder Services
1.630.623.7428
MCDirect Shares (direct stock purchase plan)
1.800.228.9623
U.S. customer comments/inquiries
1.800.244.6227
Financial media
1.630.623.3678
Franchising
1.630.623.6196
Shareholder account information
Stock transfer agent, registrar
and MCDirect Shares administrator
Computershare
c/o McDonald’s Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 43078
Providence, RI 02940 -3078
www.computershare.com/mcdonalds
U.S. and Canada: 1.800.621.7825
International: 1.312.360.5129
TDD (hearing impaired): 1.312.588.4110
Trademarks
All trademarks used herein are the property of their
respective owners.
McDonald’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
Shareholders may access a complete copy of the
10 -K online at www.investor.mcdonalds.com or
www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also request a
paper copy at no charge by calling 1-800-228-9623
or writing to McDonald’s Corporation, Shareholder
Services, Department 720, One McDonald’s Plaza,
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523.
The information in this report is as of March 19, 2015
unless otherwise indicated.
Reproduction of photography and/or text in whole or
in part without permission is prohibited.
© 2015 McDonald’s
Printed in the U.S. A.
MCD15-4859
Printing: R.R. Donnelley
The Annual Report is printed on paper certified to the
standards of the Forest Stewardship Council
post-consumer fiber. The FSC ® trademark identifies
products which contain fiber from well-managed forests
certified in accordance with FSC standards.
® and includes
McDonald’s Corporation 2014 Annual Report
57
McDonald’s Corporation
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aboutmcdonalds.com