One of the bolder initiatives Starbucks announced during last week's quarterly conference call was that 60 percent of the 1,500 new U.S. locations the barista-tended chain plans to open through the next five years will have drive-thru windows.
Don Thompson, a champion of McDonald's expanded menu offerings and spruced-up restaurants will soon take the top spot at the world's biggest burger chain.
With McDonald's and Starbucks both trying to suck up Jamba Juice's smoothie business, some investors might have worried about how the smaller chain would compete. But as its latest positive profit report shows, the competition has turned out to be healthy for Jamba.
There's never a dull moment on Wall Street, especially now that 2012 is rolling into its first earnings season. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape this week, among them: railroad stocks, Apple, Netflix, the maker of infant formula Enfamil, Starbucks and McDonald's.
Just a few months ago, coffee-related companies were as hot as a steaming cup of joe. Buoyant coffee bean prices, a growing consumer appetite for premium coffee, and a few company-specific events fueled a rally in the niche. But the hype has lost it caffeine buzz, and prices are way down.
