During the quarter, we began exiting our successful investment in global quick service restaurant operator McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) and completed the sale in the first week of 2016. The stock was a strong contributor for the year, up 31%, and the last three months, up 21%. When we initially purchased the company in late 2014, we believed management could overcome short-term obstacles and turn around same-store sales in certain struggling markets. Additionally, we saw optionality in the value of the company’s real estate assets. Over the course of our investment, McDonald’s hired a new CEO, Steve Easterbrook, a move welcomed by investors. His plan to revive the business both operationally and structurally helped drive the stock price. Although management and the board decided not to monetize the real estate assets, the stock price reached our appraised value in an unexpectedly short period. Over the year plus that we owned the stock, it gained 34% and was among the strongest contributors to performance. We appreciate the board’s and management’s solid execution. We hope that Mr. Market gives us an opportunity to partner with them in the future.
From Longleaf Partners Fund 4th quarter commentary.
