McDonald's (MCD) earnings: Record traffic, flat revenue, and the CosMc's pivot

McDonald's posted its highest single sales day in history via the "Grinch" campaign, yet revenue remained flat as the company traded margin for volume 📉.In ~10 minutes:*   Revenue $7.01B (-1% QoQ) against +6.8% US comparable sales.*   The "value trap": Gaining low-income share but seeing EPS dip 5%.*   Strategic pivot: Halting CosMc's standalone expansion to upgrade McCafé.*   Outlook: A $3.7B+ capex ramp in 2026 despite weather-impacted Q1 guidance.Management is proving the "Lipstick Effect" is real, aggressively spending to modernize their estate and capture consumers trading down, even as efficiency charges drag on the bottom line.McDonald's Corporation (MCD) | Q4 FY2025AI-assisted production. Feedback/ticker requests: https://x.com/EarnUnscripted.