As McDonald's Turns to Value Meals, Is Now a Good Time to Buy the Stock?
POINT McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) recently reported disappointing Q4 earnings, partly due to an E. coli outbreak that impacted sales. The company is shifting its focus towards value meals to attract price-conscious consumers. Despite short-term challenges, McDonald's is expanding aggressively, planning to open 2,200 new stores in 2025. Analysts see long-term growth potential , making it a solid investment for patient investors. DETAILS Weak Q4 Performance Due to E. Coli Outbreak Image source: Getty Images. McDonald's experienced lackluster Q4 results, mainly due to an E. coli outbreak in the U.S. that forced the company to temporarily remove its Quarter Pounder from some locations. As a result, U.S. same-store sales declined by 1.4% , reflecting lower check sizes but slightly increased guest counts. However, international markets performed better: International licensed stores: +4.1% same-store sales growth, with strong performance in Japan and the Middle East . Intern...