McDonald’s focus on value is paying off.
The fast food giant said Wednesday that its global same-store sales — or sales at locations open at least a year — jumped 5.7% in the October-December period. That’s better than the 3.9% Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Chicago-based McDonald’s fourth quarter revenue and earnings also beat analysts’ expectations.
McDonald’s cut prices on some U.S. combo meals in September. Those Extra Value Meal promotions came on top of discounts that began earlier in 2025. like the McValue menu. McDonald’s popular Snack Wraps, which returned to menus in July for $2.99. also helped improve value perceptions.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said those changes helped McDonald’s gain share among consumers with household incomes of $45.000 or less, a segment that has been drifting away from the brand.
“McDonald’s is not going to get beat on value and affordability,” Kempczinski said during a conference call with investors.
The company also boosted U.S. traffic in the fourth quarter with marketing schemes, including the return of its Monopoly game in October and a Grinch-themed meal in December. Kempczinski said McDonald’s sold 50 million pairs of Grinch socks with those meals in the first few days of the promotion, briefly making the company the largest seller of socks in the world.
