Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (-1.2%), Nasdaq Composite (-1.7%), and DJIA (-1.2%) continue to tick lower shortly after midday. 

McDonald's (MCD 331.80, +8.59, +2.66%) is a rare bright spot in today's trade, sitting near the top of the leaderboard in the consumer discretionary sector (-1.2%). 

The stock is rebounding from a rare EPS miss in Q3 with its largest EPS beat in two years. Revenue increased 9.7% year-over-year to $7.01 billion, well above consensus and marking its strongest top-line growth since 3Q23, fueled by an aggressive value push and the successful return of Snack Wraps in the U.S. The somewhat muted stock reaction appears tied to ambitious 2026 cap-ex plans and a sizable run in shares since mid-January.

Global same-restaurant sales rose +5.7%, the highest comp in nearly three years, accelerating from +3.6% in Q3 and +3.8% in Q2. US comps jumped 6.8%, up from +2.4% in Q3 and +2.5% in Q2, and exceeded internal expectations.