Core Insights - Taco Bell is focusing on beverages with its new Live Más Café concept, aiming to generate a $5 billion drink business by 2030 [3][21] - The chain has already sold over 600 million beverages this year, marking a 16% increase from the previous year [4][20] - The Live Más Café format is integrated within existing Taco Bell locations, allowing customers to order drinks at kiosks and watch the preparation [2][5] Company Strategy - Taco Bell plans to expand the Live Más Café to 30 locations by the end of the year, targeting Southern California, Dallas, and Houston [1][3] - The beverage menu includes churro chillers, specialty coffees, refrescas, and seasonal favorites, designed to appeal to younger consumers [6][7] - The chain is leveraging the beverage trend to attract Generation Z and millennials, who are more inclined to experiment with food and drink options [14][15] Sales Performance - The Irvine location is selling over 900 drinks per day, with more than a third of orders including a Live Más Café item [9][10] - The Chula Vista location has exceeded sales forecasts, selling over 750 beverages daily, with a quarter of transactions including a Live Más Café beverage [10][11] - Taco Bell's same-store sales grew by 4% in the second quarter, outperforming many fast-food competitors [21][20] Market Trends - The beverage market among the top 500 chains has grown by over 9% in the past year, indicating a shift in consumer preferences towards innovative drink options [13][14] - Competitors like Shake Shack and Chick-fil-A are also focusing on beverage innovations, highlighting a broader industry trend [12][11] - Younger consumers are driving the trend towards customization and premium beverage offerings, which Taco Bell aims to capitalize on [15][16]

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake has launched a special Bitcoin burger to commemorate its acceptance of BTC payments. Steak ‘n Shake said last week on X that it has launched a limited-edition "Bitcoin Steakburger" with BTC-branded buns to commemorate its fifth month of accepting Bitcoin payments. Steak ‘n Shake started accepting Bitcoin payments on the Lightning Network in May after months of teasers. The c ...

Core Insights - Strong earnings reports from General Motors and Coca-Cola indicate resilience in consumer spending despite tariff concerns [2][8][35] - General Motors raised its full-year outlook after exceeding profit forecasts, while Coca-Cola also beat analyst estimates [6][9][35] - The impact of tariffs on profits remains significant, with GM estimating a $4 billion hit this year, yet the company is adapting through cost discipline and strategic pricing [35][40][52] Group 1: General Motors - General Motors reported earnings that surpassed analyst expectations, with shares opening nearly 10% higher [6][9] - The company raised its full-year guidance, reflecting strong sales and cost management despite a slight revenue miss [6][35] - GM's CFO noted that tariffs are still a concern, projecting a $4 billion impact on profits, but expressed optimism about future performance [35][40][52] Group 2: Coca-Cola - Coca-Cola experienced weak volume in the U.S. but still managed to beat profit estimates, with shares opening 3% higher [3][7] - The company maintained its full-year sales outlook despite the challenges posed by price increases [3][7] Group 3: Market Reactions - Major indexes opened flat despite strong earnings reports, indicating mixed investor sentiment [4][5] - The positive earnings from GM and Coca-Cola are contributing to a bullish narrative in the market, suggesting resilience in the economy [12][13] Group 4: Consumer Behavior - High-income consumers are driving spending, with many trading down to value options as inflation concerns grow [21][22] - Companies are adapting to consumer preferences, with Coca-Cola shifting towards healthier options and GM focusing on high-demand vehicle segments [19][22] Group 5: Future Outlook - GM is restructuring its EV business in response to slower-than-expected demand, indicating a more cautious approach moving forward [56][57] - The company is optimistic about stabilizing tariff impacts and improving margins through strategic adjustments [42][52]

Company Overview - Seun Sodipo has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Plaid, a fintech startup that connects financial institutions, succeeding Eric Hart [1][3] - Sodipo has a strong background in guiding high-growth businesses, having previously served as CFO at Glossier and held key roles at Stripe, Centerview Partners, Helios Investment Partners, and Insignia Capital Group [3] Recent Developments - In April, Plaid completed a $575 million funding round led by Franklin Templeton, valuing the company at approximately $6.1 billion, despite a drop from its peak valuation of $13.4 billion in 2021 [4][5] - The funding round included a tender offer, allowing investors to purchase existing shares and providing liquidity to Plaid employees, addressing tax obligations tied to expiring stock units [4] Strategic Focus - Plaid aims to expand beyond core data infrastructure into a broader suite of intelligence services, including products in identity, payments, credit, and fraud [5] - Sodipo's priorities as CFO include driving sustainable, long-term growth, investing in areas of strong customer demand, and enhancing data and analytics capabilities [7] - The company is positioned to support the next era of digital finance, with over half of Americans with bank accounts having used Plaid to connect to apps or services [7]

A major Amazon Web Services outage disrupted much of the internet early Monday, including apps such as Snap, Coinbase, Roblox and McDonald's. ...

Which billionaires got their start at fast food chains? https://t.co/lHSLmSkLMf ...

Which billionaires got their start at fast food chains? https://t.co/lHSLmSkLMfhttps://t.co/lHSLmSkLMf ...

Core Insights - McDonald's Corporation (MCD) has a market capitalization of $217.9 billion and operates globally, serving a variety of food and beverages across different market segments [1] Financial Performance - McDonald's is expected to announce Q3 2025 results on November 5, with analysts predicting an adjusted EPS of $3.37, a 4.3% increase from $3.23 in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, the adjusted EPS is anticipated to be $12.34, reflecting a 5.3% rise from $11.72 in fiscal 2024, with further growth expected to $13.37 in fiscal 2026, an 8.4% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, McDonald's shares have declined by 2.3%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 13.6%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund, which increased by 17.5% [4] - Following the Q2 2025 results, which exceeded expectations with an adjusted EPS of $3.19 and revenue of $6.8 billion, shares rose nearly 3% [5] Analyst Ratings - The consensus view on McDonald's stock is cautiously optimistic, with a "Moderate Buy" rating from analysts. Among 35 analysts, 14 recommend "Strong Buy," 1 suggests "Moderate Buy," 19 indicate "Hold," and 1 advises "Strong Sell" [6] - The average analyst price target for McDonald's is $337.45, suggesting a potential upside of 9.6% from current levels [6]

Core Insights - PAR Technology Corporation has announced that Layne's Chicken Fingers will implement PAR® Engagement to enhance its digital ordering and loyalty systems as it prepares for significant expansion [1] Company Developments - Layne's Chicken Fingers is planning to expand with over 300 restaurants in the development pipeline [1] - PAR Engagement includes a suite of tools for ordering, loyalty, guest data, and marketing [1]

Company Overview - Nio's shares fell over 8% after Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, GIC, filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of inflating revenues and violating securities laws [5][7] - The lawsuit names CEO Li Bin and former CFO Feng Wei as defendants, alleging that Nio improperly recognized over $600 million in leased battery revenue through Weineng, which is claimed to be controlled by Nio [6][7] Financial Impact - GIC, which purchased Nio shares between August 11, 2022, and July 11, 2023, states it suffered significant losses due to the alleged misrepresentation of Nio's financials [7] - Following the lawsuit news, Nio's shares on the Singapore Exchange dropped by 7.9%, and the company's premarket shares on the NYSE fell by 6.6% [7] Industry Developments - Nvidia is collaborating with Firmus Technologies to develop renewable energy-powered AI data centers in Australia, with an investment of A$4.5 billion ($2.9 billion) [8] - Construction is already underway on two data centers in Melbourne and Tasmania, expected to utilize 150 megawatts of power and come online by April [8]