McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD, XETRA:MDO) reported fourth-quarter revenue and comparable sales that exceeded analysts’ expectations, driven by its US traffic and the continued popularity of value meals.
Revenue rose 10% year-on-year to $7.01 billion, surpassing the $6.81 billion forecast, while earnings per share matched estimates at $3.03, up from $2.80 a year earlier.
Comparable sales climbed 5.7% globally, topping the 3.76% projected by analysts, with US comps increasing 6.8%, the fastest pace in more than two years.
Internationally, operated markets saw a 5.2% increase in comparable sales, while developmental licensed markets rose 4.5%, both ahead of estimates. Operating income for the quarter grew 10% to $3.16 billion.
McDonald’s reported full-year systemwide sales of over $139 billion, with sales to loyalty program members totaling approximately $37 billion, up 20% year-on-year. The company said its 90-day active loyalty users reached around 210 million, a 19% increase from 2024.
Adjusted EPS came in at $3.12, beating the $3.04 expected, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share, a 5% increase.
“McDonald’s value leadership is working,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said. “By listening to customers and taking action, we have improved traffic and strengthened our value & affordability scores. That focus helped increase global systemwide sales by 8% and delivered strong comp sales growth across all segments this quarter. The momentum we’ve built reinforces the progress we've made with our strategy and has earned us the right to look forward together as a system.”
McDonald’s stock recently hit an all-time high, although shares were trading flat on Thursday morning.