MCD · Earnings call · 2026Q3T · Full report

U.S. Same-Store Sales Growth

MCDONALDS CORP · 2026-11-04 · Importance 25 · Surprise 32

U.S. comparable sales declined 0.2% in the third quarter, but turned positive in September after being slightly negative in July and August; management said baseline traffic trends improved through September and October. McDonald’s partially restored regional and national digital offers, including a $2 breakfast sandwich and free fries with a $1 minimum purchase, and the initial response exceeded expectations for incremental guest counts and sales. Marketing support also shifted toward rest-of-day entry-level meal deals and Extra Value Meals; sales of the top Extra Value Meals were up about 7% year over year, with incremental traffic and higher average check and margin. Management said the U.S. business is on track to exit 2026 in a stronger position, while noting that it was not forecasting that fourth-quarter comparable sales would be better than the third quarter.

Key facts

• McDonald’s initiated interventions during Q3 to restore some digital offers, shift marketing toward proven value platforms, and increase focus on restaurant-level execution.
• U.S. comparable sales turned positive in September after being slightly negative in July and August.
• U.S. baseline traffic trends improved in September and October.
• McDonald’s U.S. system is focused on restoring business momentum for the rest of the year and developing its 2027 plan to achieve the strongest possible top-line growth in the operating environment.
• Q3 U.S. comparable sales declined 0.2%; year-to-date U.S. comparable sales were up 1.4%.