MCD Stock In Spotlight As Burger Giant Bucks Industry-Wide Slowdown To Deliver Solid Quarterly Beat

McDonald’s beat quarterly profit and revenue expectations while noting that the overall industry still remains challenging.

• CEO Chris Kempczinski said that the company launched McValue in the U.S. at the start of the year, which drove immediate incrementality.
• In early January, Placer.ai reported that momentum at McDonald’s was fueled by a holiday-themed “Grinch” Menu.
• McDonald’s fourth-quarter revenue rose 10% to $7.01 billion, beating Wall Street estimates of $6.84 billion, according to data from Stocktwits.

McDonald’s stock fell marginally before the bell on Thursday after CFO Ian Borden said that the quick-service restaurant in the U.S. and across many markets will remain challenging. 

The burger chain on Wednesday reported better-than-expected quarterly results, which propelled investor and retail optimism around the company and outpaced the broader slowdown. McDonald’s garnered customer attention through its value meal offerings and holiday-season promotions, which boosted sales growth for the fast-food giant.

Shares of McDonald’s have gained nearly 6% so far this year and are on track for their 12th straight year of gains.

McDonald’s Value Meal Drive

CEO Chris Kempczinski said that the company launched McValue in the U.S. at the start of the year, which drove immediate incrementality, and then it relaunched Extra Value Meals in September. “Together with McValue and exciting marketing, we gained share with low-income consumers in December, and we've seen a meaningful increase in our value and affordability scores,” he added.

In early January, Placer.ai said that at McDonald’s, momentum was fueled by a holiday-themed “Grinch” Menu, which arrived on the heels of the fast food company’s Boo Bucket merchandise drop in October.

Kempczinski said the Grinch returned after its 2024 debut in Canada. “The campaign, which came to life in several markets in 2025, drove extraordinary excitement, sparking sellouts and becoming a true holiday moment for millions of families,” he said, adding that the inclusion of Grinch-themed collectible socks in many markets made it the largest seller of socks in the world for nearly a week.

Earnings In A Nutshell

McDonald’s fourth-quarter revenue rose 10% to $7.01 billion, beating Wall Street estimates of $6.84 billion, according to data from Fiscal AI. The company’s adjusted earnings per share came in at $3.12, topping expectations of $3.05. 

Global same-store sales for the quarter ending Dec. 31 rose 5.7% while comparable sales in the U.S. increased 6.8%.

What Is Retail Thinking?

Retail sentiment on McDonald’s jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

A bullish user on Stocktwits said that the stock should gain on Thursday and Friday.

In the last 24 hours, the retail message volumes on the stock jumped 1,100% on Stocktwits and over the past year, the ticker added nearly 4% followers on the platform.

Shares of McDonald’s have gained over 4% in the last 12 months.

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