McDonald's has lost its crown, why boring stocks are winning & 4 reasons to sell

McDonald's is no longer the largest restaurant chain, and a new “Halo Trade” has investors flocking to boring, old-school stocks. Then, we help a listener with a tough decision: when to sell underperforming stocks. PLUS: Calling all bulls, bears and party animals! The market is closed, the bar is open. Come trade ideas at FinFest – Australia’s largest finance festival. Join us on Saturday 24 October in Sydney at Carriageworks for a day designed to prove that finance doesn’t have to be boring. We believe investing is a life skill everybody should have. FinFest is here to make learning it fun. You’ll hear from some of Australia’s best investors, business leaders and entrepreneurs, take part in educational sessions and connect with thousands of like-minded people – all while enjoying bars, food and entertainment. Leave inspired, better informed, and ready to take the next step on your investing journey. Register your interest for early bird tickets at equitymates.com/finfest In this episode: 00:00 FinFest 2026 announcement! 3:00 McDonald's dethroned by Mixue: The rise of bubble tea 7:04 Mixue’s business model vs McDonald’s 9:15 The "Halo Trade" & the battle of boring stocks 11:00 Why boring stocks are outperforming tech 13:10 Investors are panicked over AI disruption 16:30 Opportunity cost: When to sell a stock 23:00 When should you cut losses in your portfolio? Stocks & ETFs mentioned in this episode: McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), Target (NYSE: TGT), Hershey (NYSE: HSY), Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL), Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI), ProMedicus (ASX: PME), Algorand (ALGO), Wix (NASDAQ: WIX). ——— Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group. ——— Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered. Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify) We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify) Watch on YouTube Read the monthly email ——— Looking for some of our favourite research tools? Download our free Basics of ETF handbook Or our free 4-step stock checklist Find company information on TIKR Research reports from Good Research Track your portfolio with Sharesight ——— In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. ——— Equity Mates Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.