The Fast Food Industry

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http://www.wikinvest.com/industry/Fast_Food_Restaurants_(QSR) Fast food restaurants represent one of the largest segments of the food industry with over 200,000 restaurants and $120B in sales in the U.S. alone[1]. Fast food restaurants, also known as quick service restaurants (QSRs), are noted for their short food preparation time. Some of the largest players in this category include international giants like McDonald's and Yum! Brands, national chains such as Wendy's and Burger King and regional players like Jack In The Box and Sonic. Since late 2006, the fast food industry's growth has been slowed by soaring food and energy prices.[2] The high prices of commodities, combined with the housing slump[3] and a weakening job market[4] are taking a toll on restaurant spending in the U.S. (the world's largest fast food market, by far[5]). The same food and energy inflation that is corroding consumer spending is also taking a bite out of company margins. Fast food restaurants have navigated this difficult landscape with varying levels of success. International players such as McDonald's (MCD) and Yum! Brands (YUM) have had the most success as explosive growth in emerging markets has offset rising costs and a U.S. slowdown. Other companies like Sonic and Domino's have turned to new marketing campaigns and product innovation to boost growth and profitability. Top Companies (by Market Cap) |Symbol |Mkt Cap |Price |% Change | |[pic]MCD |83.5B |78.34 |(-0.13%) | |[pic]YUM |22.9B |49.33 |(1.09%) | |[pic]THI |6.45B |37.31 |(0.65%) | |[pic]CMG |5.58B |200.07 |(11.62%) | |[pic]BKC |3.27B |23.99 |(0.00%) | |[pic]WEN |1.97B |4.83 |(2.55%) | |[pic]JACK |1.28B |23.48 |(0.77%) | With over 32,000 locations in over 110 countries, McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) is the world's

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