Will McDonald's stock rise on Friday 5/8 after its earnings release on Thurs?
68% of users predicted YES — the community missed this one. 38 predictions cast.
McDonald's reported first-quarter 2026 earnings on May 7 that beat analyst expectations on both revenue and profit, with net revenue rising 9% to $6.52 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.83 surpassing estimates. U.S. same-store sales climbed 3.9%, fueled by higher per-visit spending. Despite the strong numbers, McDonald's stock fell on Friday, May 8, erasing early premarket gains of more than 3%. The reversal came after CEO Chris Kempczinski cautioned analysts about the current consumer environment and CFO Ian Borden warned of a Q2 sales deceleration—McDonald's faces tough year-over-year comparisons from its 2025 Minecraft movie tie-in meal promotion. Investors appeared to look past the Q1 beat and price in the softer near-term outlook, pushing shares lower on the day. The 68% of the Predict Six community that expected a post-earnings stock gain were wrong; a solid earnings report was not sufficient to overcome forward guidance concerns.
Sources
- McDonald's (MCD) Q1 2026 earnings (2026-05-07)
- McDonald's Beat Q1 2026 Earnings Despite a Tough Consumer (2026-05-07)