Wendy's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's view, even as a key indicator of sales at North American restaurants dipped slightly. The hamburger chain also maintained its fiscal 2013 adjusted earnings forecast that was above analysts' estimates.
The financial markets are closed for the Christmas holiday, but when trading resumes on Wednesday, here's what's likely to help shape the rest of the week on Wall Street.
McDonald's said Monday that a key sales figure rose in November, as U.S. customers snapped up the world's biggest hamburger chain's breakfast offerings and limited-time Cheddar Bacon Onion sandwiches. The increase follows a decline in October.
McDonald's is having trouble stomaching the competition. The world's biggest hamburger chain said Thursday that global revenue fell for the first time in nearly a decade in October, as the company faced intensifying competition and a challenging economy.
Poor corporate earnings reports are pounding the stock market in a sour end to an otherwise strong week. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 200 points for its worst day in four months.
The franchisor-franchisee relationship can be a tense one, especially when corporate asks the operators to spend more money. That's true even at a market leader like McDonald's, where remodeling investments, marketing campaigns and discounting are touchy subjects right now.
Wendy's pigtails are getting a tweak. The Dublin, Ohio-based fast food company is updating its logo in a move intended to signal its ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain.
McDonald's said a key sales figure climbed 3.7 percent in August, as the fast-food chain emphasized the value of its menu offerings amid the challenging global economy.
Amazon.com is bringing its Kindle store to India, underscoring the fact that the world's largest democracy is increasingly the place to be for businesses.
A San Francisco judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit that sought to stop McDonald's Corp. from using toys to market its meals to children in the Golden State.
McDonald's said Wednesday that a key revenue figure climbed 6.7 percent in January as U.S. customers spent more on breakfast items, beverages and its new Chicken McBites. The world's biggest hamburger chain's strongest January results were in the U.S., as revenue in restaurants open at least 13 months rose 7.8 percent there. The metric increased 7.3 percent in the region made up of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and 4 percent in Europe.
The complaint among those who don't dig Starbucks' coffee is that it tastes "burnt," or as java connoisseurs say, "bold." With those people in mind, it's trying something new. But can Starbucks' milder Blonde roast lure customers away from its budget-priced competition?
Fast-food companies face a two-headed monster after every New Year%u2019s Day: Diet resolutions and empty wallets. So purveyors of burgers, tacos, fried chicken and the like are getting aggressive, which means means a solid month of gooey, cheesy, melty deals.
McDonald's and other fast-food establishments recently garnered praise from First Lady Michelle Obama for making great strides toward "making America healthier." But how admirable have their efforts really been? Here's a closer look at the likely effects of changes to the happy meal -- and a different business's better efforts.
