Why MCD Is Advancing Today

McDonald’s (MCD) is climbing 5% after the company’s top line and its earnings per share for the fourth quarter came in below analysts’ average estimates, but its comparable-store sales beat their mean outlook.

Mixed Q4 Results for MCD

The company generated Q4 EPS, excluding some items, of $2.83, versus analysts’ average estimate of $2.86. Its adjusted EPS rose 1% year-over-year, excluding currency fluctuations. But its revenue fell 0.3% versus Q4 of 2023 to $6.39 billion. The latter figure was $90 million below the mean estimate.

A close-up of customers ordering from a McDonald’s restaurant in Latin America.

However, the comparable sales of MCD increased 0.4% year-over-year. That was well above analysts’ average estimate of a 0.9% YOY decrease. The comp sales of the firm’s International Developmental Licensed Markets segment, led by Japan and the Middle East,  surged 4.1% YOY, while the comp sales of its U.S. business sank 1.4% YOY.

MCD’s Comments

“Accelerating the Arches continues to be the right strategy as we focus on growing market share,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement. “We’re playing to win, focusing on our customers with outstanding value, exciting menu innovation and culturally relevant marketing,” the CEO added.

The Recent Performance of MCD Stock

 In the last month, the shares have risen 9%, while they are up 2.5% in the last three months.

While we acknowledge the potential of MCD, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MCD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.