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The final days of McDonald's?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by da man, Oct 16, 2015.

Page 34 of 46
  1. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Wasn't Kodak the largest and/or best producer of a product not too long ago?
     
    Ace, Jan 28, 2016
    #397
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    A company that is in trouble, and and a company that might not grow as fast as as it has been, are two different things. Although, one often leads to the other.

    Apple isn't in trouble. At least not yet. For the quarter, Apple's sales were close to $76 billion. That isn't a struggling company, obviously. But its iPhone sales are slowing and they are gently preparing investors for the first-ever DECLINE in iPhone sales next quarter. You might not give a shit if the stock price slips, but that is presumably because you are not one of the owners of the company. If you were, you would give a shit. Stock prices are like the prices of anything else. They correlate with the some kind of value proposition—whether it is expected future growth in the business, or a steady dividend, or a combination of the two. Apple's stock price went on a tremendous run over a few years, predicated, among other things, on Apple growing and continuing to grow the way it has. You could have a legitimate argument about whether Apple is expensive or fairly valued or is even cheap at the valuation it gets. But regardless, if the company doesn't grow at the rate that was being priced into the stock, the stock price will likely come down. Just as, if any product that you do give a shit about stopped delivering what you expected from it, you'd be willing to pay less for it. And if others followed suit, the price would come down.

    Over the long haul, Apple has been a pretty resilient company, sliding through different product cycles. For example, when the iPod was coming to the end of its run, they had the iPhone ready, which turned into something even bigger. So maybe it will be great moving forward. It hasn't offered the plan for that yet, though, and I am not sure it has a plan it even believes in. But it's at a point where it needs to keep innovating with something new and really good if it wants to stay on top of the world. If it can't, it could very well become like Kodak, or any number of companies that got left behind. Not saying that will happen. But history is littered with companies that can tell that story.
     
    The Big Ragu, Jan 28, 2016
    #398
  3. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Well yeah, but in the space of about 10 years the whole world discovered they didn't need that product any more. Somehow I doubt the world is going to discover they don't need food any more.
     
    Starman, Jan 28, 2016
    #399
  4. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    What does that have to do with Apple? Or McDonald's, even?
     
    da man, Jan 28, 2016
    #400
  5. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    The demand for McDonald's product is somewhat more inelastic.

    Although, I hope and pray, the number of people eating Mickey D for daily subsistence isn't too sizable.

    Put it in everyday terms, average Joe Schmoe is probably put in a position where he has to decide to buy or not buy Apple -- or Kodak -- products maybe, I dunno, once or twice a month. But average Joe Schmoe probably at least entertains the idea of eating fast food every several days. They may well and probably do make other choices, but everybody's gotta eat.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2016
    Starman, Jan 28, 2016
    #401
  6. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    There are so many better fast-food and almost-fast-food choices these days that I never hit most of the old staples anymore.

    McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC ... it's been months.
     
    Riptide, Jan 28, 2016
    #402
  7. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    On the main drag of the town next to mine, there's a McDonald's and a Chipotle across the street from each other. Each does a fine business, although of course Chipotle not so much the last couple of months, although that seems to be wearing off now.
    There will always be a market for burgers, fries and breakfast sandwiches. Maybe there shouldn't be (I eat fast food maybe twice a year) but there will be, if only because there will always be parents with young children on road trips.
     
    Michael_ Gee, Jan 28, 2016
    #403
  8. BDC99

    BDC99 Well-Known Member

    Yep. Gee nailed it. McDonald's isn't going anywhere as long as kids love it. And they do.
     
    BDC99, Jan 28, 2016
    #404
  9. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    I expected Apple to hit iPhone saturation at some point where everyone who wants one has one and the market slows. On the other hand, everyone has to eat.
     
    Twirling Time, Jan 28, 2016
    #405
  10. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    It's only because of people who feel like dinosaurs if they are one gadget behind the latest creation that has sustained Apple's growth for so long.

    Great company. Great products. But you can't continue to grow at a meteoric rate unless you are literally coming out with new products (not just updates of products) every few months. Just unsustainable.
     
    BTExpress, Jan 28, 2016
    #406
  11. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Almost overnight Kodak went from the best way to take a picture to the worst way to take a picture.

    As soon as these tech companies fall back in the pack on technology ideas, then they start to struggle. Apple TV might be their next big thing. It might be the Apple car. Who knows?

    They probably realize as well that the phone is not going to be buttering their bread forever.
     
    93Devil, Jan 29, 2016
    #407
  12. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    But today's health-conscious parents don't feed it to them. I don't know that my kids have ever tasted McDonald's.
     
    Dick Whitman, Jan 29, 2016
    #408
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