On Sept. 13, 2007, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'A' corporate credit and 'A-1' short-term ratings on McDonald's Corp. following the company's announcement that it has raised its dividend to $1.50 per share from $1.00 per share and plans to return $15 billion to $17 billion to shareholders, subject to business and market conditions. The outlook is stable. Although we believe the action signals a modestly more aggressive financial policy, we think the strengthening of McDonald's business profile over the past four years offsets the slight increase in financial risk. The company has generated consistently strong operating performance since 2003 as a result of its focus on improving the speed, accuracy, and friendliness of service and on enhancing
