McDonald’s Profit Rises to $2.49 Billion in Third Quarter as U.S. Sales Slip 0.2%
McDonald's reported net income of $2.49 billion for the third quarter, with adjusted earnings above Wall Street expectations, even as U.S. comparable sales fell 0.2 percent and total revenue missed estimates.
McDonald’s reported higher profit for the third quarter of 2026 on Wednesday, as growth outside the United States offset a small decline in U.S. comparable sales.
Net income rose to $2.49 billion, or $3.51 a share, from $2.28 billion, or $3.18 a share, a year earlier, in results for the quarter ended September 30. After one-time items, earnings were $3.57 a share, above the $3.38 a share analysts polled by FactSet had expected, according to Dow Jones Newswires.
Total revenue rose 1.1 percent to $7.16 billion, below the $7.28 billion Wall Street had expected.
U.S. sales slip as international sales rise
Global comparable sales rose 1.5 percent in the quarter, above the 1.3 percent gain analysts had expected. In the United States, comparable sales fell 0.2 percent, as weaker guest traffic was largely offset by higher average checks, McDonald’s said. The U.S. decline was smaller than the 0.5 percent decline Wall Street had expected, according to TradingView News.
Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said the company delivered another quarter of global growth, led by its international business. He said trends in the United States began to improve during the quarter after the company put more focus on value.
McDonald’s has used deals and new menu items to win back customers who have cut back on eating out, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The company said in June it would lean on menu upgrades, better customer service and new store designs, and in September it laid out a plan to spend about $8.5 billion to help franchisees invest in equipment and operations.
Reporting based on coverage by Dow Jones Newswires via Morningstar and TradingView News.
