Conventional thinking says that fortunes are made in bull markets and lost in bear markets. But that's not always the case.

Some businesses excel during difficult economic periods, and their stocks rise as others fall. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is one such company. Here are three reasons why.

The restaurant titan tends to see its sales strengthen during challenging economic periods as people trade down to less expensive meals. We're seeing this play out right now. McDonald's comparable sales surged nearly 13% in the first quarter. Its adjusted earnings per share, in turn, jumped 15% to $2.63.

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Source Fool.com