The world of fast food has long been one of controversy and confusion. Documentaries such as the world-famous “Super Size Me” have been questioning the effects of fast food upon the body, whilst TV programs such as “Man vs. Food” have almost satirized the consumer culture and the huge portions that customers today demand.

Additionally, the recent decision by a number of fast food companies to display the calorific content of their food on the menu has proven to be a shock for the majority of their customers, who were previously in the dark about how many calories a quick snack or a meal on-the-run would cost them. With all this negative publicity around, you’d think that the stock of a company such as McDonald’s (MCD) would have taken a turn for the worse.

However, with McDonald’s, that is certainly not the case – in fact, quite the opposite has happened. McDonald’s stock is now trading at the impressive amount of around $98, and, although this has seen a decrease since this time last month (March 2012), when it was trading at $99, the stock has seen a relatively steady increase over the past year. In April 2011, McDonald’s stock was trading at $77, meaning that the stock has seen an increase of over $20 in the past year. This makes McDonald’s stock one of the best performing entities on the market, and the corporation is quick to assure us that its recent figures are supporting this trend.

Comparatively, McDonald’s competitors are constantly trailing behind. To continue reading, click here.