Sales Performance - McDonald's gains driven by international sales beat [1] Market Dynamics - Bloomberg Stock Movers report highlights winners and losers on Wall Street [1]

Let's get to McDonald's this morning. They did serve up an earnings beat. EPS and revenue came in ahead of expectations.Global comps up 38. Let's bring in Evercore ISI analyst David Palmer has a buy and a 350 target on the stock. David, good to see you.Comps were a bright spot and yet the commentary was, I guess, qualitatively a little cautious. What's your take on it. >> It was actually a really good earnings call.the the Q&A uh really focused on the fact that they need to do more on value for that 50% of ...

Core Insights - McDonald's reported better-than-expected earnings, driven by a focus on value meals and promotions that attracted budget-conscious diners during economic uncertainty [1][7] - The company achieved a 3.8% increase in same-store sales in the second quarter, surpassing estimates of 2.4% [1][6] Sales Performance - Same-store sales in the US rose 2.5%, a significant rebound from a 3.6% decline in the previous quarter [5][9] - Internationally, the developmental licensed markets, including Japan and China, saw a 5.6% growth in same-store sales [8] - Same-store sales in international operated markets, including the UK, Australia, and Canada, increased by 4% [10] Strategic Initiatives - The introduction of $5 meal deals and the "Minecraft" Movie promotion Happy Meal helped re-engage low-income diners [2][3] - McDonald's focused on value messaging, which contributed to its outperformance compared to competitors like Yum Brands and Chipotle [4][7] Financial Highlights - Earnings per share rose by 7% year-over-year to $3.19, exceeding Wall Street estimates of $3.15 [10] - Total revenue reached $6.84 billion, surpassing projections of $6.7 billion [10] Future Outlook - Executives anticipate stronger results in the second half of the year, particularly in the fourth quarter, which is expected to outperform last year due to a previous E. coli outbreak that negatively impacted demand [11]

For the quarter ended June 2025, McDonald's (MCD) reported revenue of $6.84 billion, up 5.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.19, compared to $2.97 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.92% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.71 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $3.15, the EPS surprise was +1.27%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectati ...

McDonald’s is trying to make its breakfast menu more attractive to entice budget-conscious diners who are skipping out on Egg McMuffins and hash browns https://t.co/Qjd8kVRQQc ...

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Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated total revenues increased by 11.9% to $230.8 million in Q2 compared to $206.3 million in the prior year, primarily driven by an increase in company restaurant sales [25] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $56.2 million from $67 million in the previous year [26] - Adjusted diluted EPS for 2025 was $1.17 compared to $1.71 for 2024 [26] - Adjusted free cash flow was $48.7 million compared to $52.9 million for the same period last year [27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Applebee's reported a 4.9% increase in comparable sales, while IHOP posted a negative 2.3% in comparable sales [7][29] - Average weekly sales for Applebee's were $58,000, including approximately $12,800 from off-premise sales, which accounted for 22% of total sales [29] - IHOP's average weekly sales were $37,800, with $7,600 from off-premise sales, representing 20% of total sales [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Applebee's value mix was approximately 30% in Q2, while IHOP's value mix was about 19% [7] - Off-premise sales for Applebee's saw a positive lift of 7.6% in Q2 [29] - IHOP's House Faves menu drove incremental traffic and dollar margin for franchisees, leading to a sequential improvement in comparable sales [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on enhancing menu and value platforms, improving marketing communication, and elevating guest experience [6] - Strategic investments are being made to modernize the brand and improve operations, including remodeling efforts and dual brand conversions [20][21] - The company plans to open at least a dozen dual brand restaurants by year-end, leveraging the complementary nature of Applebee's and IHOP [23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that consumers are still feeling macroeconomic pressure, leading to changes in ordering behavior [6] - The company remains confident in its strategy to drive traffic, sales, and unit growth, with updated guidance reflecting positive trends [34] - Management expressed optimism about the potential for international expansion and new restaurant formats [19] Other Important Information - The company completed a refinancing transaction with new senior secured notes of $600 million at a fixed rate of 6.72% [28] - G&A expenses increased to $50.8 million due to higher compensation and professional services fees [26] - The company added 12 Applebee's to its portfolio, now operating a total of 70 company-operated restaurants [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Performance at Applebee's and sustaining operations with frequent menu changes - Management confirmed strong performance driven by the two for 25 platform and emphasized effective training and processes to manage complexity [39][41] Question: Impact of the House Faves platform on franchisee profitability - Management indicated positive results from the House Faves program, leading to an expansion to seven days a week [47][49] Question: Path forward with corporate-owned stores and timeline for profitability - Management expects a timeline of approximately three years to improve operations and refranchise the restaurants for appropriate valuation [53][56]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the second quarter, global system-wide sales growth was over 6% in constant currency, and global comparable sales growth was nearly 4% [5][20] - Adjusted earnings per share were $3.19 for the quarter, an increase of about 5% versus the prior year quarter in constant currencies [30] - Adjusted operating margin was nearly 47% for the first half of the year, highlighting the durability of the business model [30][31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Internationally Operated Market (IOM) segment saw comparable sales increase by 4%, with all markets driving positive comp sales growth [5][6] - International Developmental Licensed markets delivered comp sales growth of more than 5.5%, led by Japan [6] - In the U.S., comparable sales were up 2.5% in the quarter, outperforming near competitors [9][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Germany, McDonald's defined good value with a clear EDAP menu and gained market share despite a challenging environment [7][8] - The U.S. QSR traffic remained challenging, particularly for low-income consumers, whose visits declined by double digits [10][20] - Australia saw its first share gains in a couple of years, driven by the Hot Honey Chicken campaign [25] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on its "Accelerating the Arches" strategy, which includes enhancing value and affordability, menu innovation, and marketing execution [14][36] - The company aims to reach 250 million 90-day active loyalty users by 2027, having reached over 185 million as of this quarter [16] - The company is modernizing its operations through technology initiatives, including edge computing and a new finance system [15][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging operating environment, particularly for low-income consumers, but expressed confidence in the company's ability to adapt and execute its strategy [10][20] - The company remains cautious about the overall near-term health of the U.S. consumer but is optimistic about the long-term potential in markets like China [26][35] - Management emphasized the importance of aligning value, menu, and marketing to drive consumer choice and market share [36][39] Other Important Information - The company plans to open approximately 2,200 restaurants globally this year, with a significant portion in the U.S. [34][35] - The company is adjusting its full-year margin target for company-operated restaurants to around 14.8% [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Current value and affordability scores in the U.S. - Management indicated that loyalty members have exceptional value and affordability scores, but there is a need to improve core menu pricing to attract more consumers [42][45][49] Question: U.S. sales trajectory and underlying momentum - Management noted that while the industry environment remains challenging, they are confident in their marketing and menu activities planned for the rest of the year [53][58][60] Question: Key drivers for the IOM segment - Management highlighted the foundational elements of value and affordability in IOM markets, supported by successful menu and marketing execution [62][66] Question: Technology initiatives and their success - Management discussed the early benefits of technology initiatives, including improved speed of service and customer satisfaction, with expectations for further benefits in the coming years [73][78][80] Question: Consumer base weakness and diagnostics - Management explained that despite wage gains, real incomes for low-income consumers are down, leading to reduced visits to QSRs [90][92] Question: G&A spend for the balance of the year - Management clarified that G&A spending is typically back half weighted due to project ramp-up times [95] Question: Beverage opportunities and future menu integration - Management expressed excitement about the beverage market's growth potential and indicated that some offerings will be included in the value menu while others will be premium products [96][100]

But there had been a really big runup in the stock over the last couple of months. And McDonald's, that Dow component serving up an earnings beat. Earnings per share and revenue both coming in ahead of expectations.Global same store sales up by 3.8%. That was ahead of the 2.6% the street was looking for. And that stock up by about 3.6% this morning.Joining us right now is John Tower. He's restaurant analyst at Citi. And John this was a situation where international stores even outperformed the US stores in ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues for Q2 2025 were $1 billion, slightly up from $999 million in the previous year [34] - U.S. comparable restaurant sales decreased by 10 basis points, while traffic declined by 200 basis points [35] - Adjusted diluted earnings per share for Q2 was $0.32, down from $0.45 in the previous year [36][37] - Adjusted operating margins were 3.5%, compared to 6% last year, primarily due to a decline in restaurant level margin and inflationary pressures [37] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Outback's off-premise sales accounted for 26% of total sales, while Carrabba's reached 35% [36] - Traffic performance at Outback improved throughout the quarter, driven by the introduction of the Aussie three-course offering [20][19] - Carrabba's experienced positive comparable sales growth, attributed to strong off-premise sales and experiential events [20][78] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. traffic was down 2% in Q2, showing a sequential improvement from Q1 [19] - The company is still losing market share in the industry, as defined by Black Box, indicating ongoing challenges in the casual dining sector [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The primary focus is on turning around Outback, with a strategy centered on improving service quality, value, and menu simplification [5][6][25] - The company is implementing a new organizational structure to enhance operational efficiency and support the turnaround efforts [6][10] - Investments of approximately $3 million in 2025 are planned for expanding tests related to service quality and value [30][43] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the need for time to reverse market share trends and emphasizes the importance of consistent execution in operations [20][32] - The company is committed to reducing debt leverage and returning capital to shareholders while maintaining healthy cash flow [32][40] - Future guidance for adjusted diluted earnings per share is set between $1 and $1.1, reflecting various operational challenges and investments [41] Other Important Information - The company has completed a repair and maintenance survey to prioritize remodels and improve asset conditions [88] - A quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share has been declared, payable on September 3, 2025 [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Inquiry about Outback general managers' compensation structure - Management is assessing the compensation structure to ensure it aligns with market averages and drives growth in sales and profits [50][51] Question: Prioritization of Outback turnaround initiatives - Management believes they are in the early stages of the turnaround and emphasizes the importance of service model, steak quality, and value components [54][56] Question: Details on the Aussie three-course offering - The offering has led to increased traffic and value satisfaction, with many guests trading up to higher price points [59][60] Question: Insights from the initial Outback test restaurants - Management noted the brand's potential and the importance of consistency in service, quality, and ambiance [64][66] Question: Performance of Outback in various regions - Performance was consistent across all geographies in Q2, with no significant outliers [94][95]