McDonald's (MCD) Targets Gen Z with Colorful Cold Brews and Dirty Sodas
Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Interestingly, drinks have become one of the fastest-growing parts of the restaurant business, especially as inflation causes people to spend less on full meals. Indeed, research firm Technomic reported that beverage- and snack-focused chains saw nearly 10% sales growth in 2024, compared to 1.4% growth for burger-focused chains. Drinks also tend to bring in higher profits. As a result, McDonald's believes that the drink market could be worth $100 billion across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Unsurprisingly, the company's latest plan builds on what it learned from CosMc's, which was an alien-themed spinoff that it launched in 2023 to test specialty drinks. While some items, such as the Churro Cold Brew Frappé, were popular, others failed to connect with customers, and McDonald's ended the concept in May 2025. Nevertheless, McDonald's new drink strategy includes simpler customization options and different flavors for international markets. With competitors also releasing new drinks, McDonald's says it wants to move quickly to claim its spot.
Is MCD Stock a Good Buy?
Overall, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on MCD stock based on 14 Buys, 13 Holds, and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average MCD price target of $335.87 per share implies 13.7% upside potential.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
$2 pizza at Pizza Hut? How to get your slice of the Tuesday deal
When it comes to fast food, Tuesday has meant tacos. But Pizza Hut has been getting its slice of the pie lately with its Tuesday deal on Personal Pan Pizzas. The company started a deal for $2 1-topping Personal Pan Pizzas on July 8 and initially planned to offer it only through July. But it's been so popular, Pizza Hut is extending it into August. "The response has been nothing short of incredible and we are even selling out of Personal Pan Pizzas at thousands of restaurants across the country," Melissa Friebe, chief marketing officer of Pizza Hut U.S., said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY earlier this month. No word yet on what the end date will be, but maybe the $2 1-topping Personal Pan Pizza deal will follow the pattern of McDonald's $5 Meal Deal, which the fast-food giant began offering in June 2024 and remains on the menu. McDonald's: Fast-food chain to test drinks from shuttering CosMc's spinoff at some restaurants How to get Pizza Hut's $2 Personal Pan Pizza deal The deal is good for carryout only – no other purchase necessary – limit of up to four per customer; order in-store or in the Pizza Hut app at participating locations. Extra cheese or additional toppings cost extra. While the offer is available at Pizza Hut locations nationwide, check to make sure your Pizza Hut location is among those participating. Also, the offer is only good while supplies last at the restaurant; on the July 8 launch date, more than 3,100 Pizza Hut restaurants sold out, the company told USA TODAY. Pizza Hut's $2 Personal Pan Pizza deal discussion on social media Pizza Hut's $2 Personal Pan Pizza deal has been a viral sensation, with customers such as one mom posting on Facebook, "The kids were so pumped when I walked through the door with these little boxes of happiness." Additionally, fans of the deal have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to praise the deal. As long as Pizza Hut have those $2 personal pan pizzas…that's what my kids gone request every Tuesday lol $2 personal pans at Pizza Hut? I'll take THAT On Tuesdays at Pizza Hut you can get personal pizzas for $2. Pizza Hut made an Instagram post on June 22 promoting the deal which has garnered many comments including, "Thank you! I am loving this deal for my kids 😍" and "Look at Pizza Hut looking out for us in these hard times.".While there have been many satisfied customers, a few have taken to social media to complain that their pizza didn't meet their expectations. On that same Instagram post, one of the comments read "Mine looked nothing like this video 😢 barely any cheese or sauce #disapponted." People have also mentioned the long lines and wait times with one post on X saying, "The line was out the door & around the corner for the $2 pizzas @ Pizza Hut. One lady said she was waiting for 2 hrs." A post shared by Pizza Hut 🍕 (@pizzahut) Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X, and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
Fast Company
4 hours ago
- Fast Company
37% of employees have wondered if emojis are professional
Emojis are a quick, succinct way to get your point across, and let's be real, they're just downright fun, but if you've ever wondered if they're work appropriate, take heart, you're not alone. According to a new survey from Glassdoor, professionals frequently use emojis to communicate, yet, at the same time, wonder if doing so is work appropriate. Nearly 37% of professionals have questioned whether emoji usage was suitable for work, and this jumps to 41% for Gen Z. However, people ages 21–25 also tend to be the heaviest emoji users: 41% of them use emojis at work. Emojis use also seems to be industry dependent. In particular, people-centric industries, such as healthcare, education, entertainment, consulting, and advertising, had the highest rates of emoji use. But the most popular emojis for the industries differed. For example, while teachers leaned into emotions that expressed warmth or caring, healthcare workers were more inclined to use emojis that revealed dark humor or burnout. Those in advertising used emojis that emphasized both 'flair and feedback,' such as music and applause hands. Fittingly, those who used emojis the least were 'regulated and risk aware' fields like insurance and real estate. While emojis tend to be used differently across industries, the survey pointed to some common ground. Employees across industries pointed to three emojis as being the most snide: thumbs up, ellipses (…), and the simple smiling emoji. Still, some respondents said that how to interpret an emoji really depends on context, mainly, who is doing the sending. 'I think it really depends on the person,' one respondent said. 'Sometimes even a smiley face or thumbs up by the right person can be really passive aggressive.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mark Cuban Says Its Not The Students At Fault But The School If Answers Can Be Generated With AI: Kids Take 'Path Of Least Resistance'
Billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban says schools that still teach for model-ready answers will be 'way behind' within a decade, arguing curricula must evolve with artificial intelligence. What Happened: In an X post on Sunday, the investor wrote, 'Within 5–10 years, if a school teaches in a manner where answers by students can be generated by a model, it's a sh*tty school and way behind.' He added that 'kids will always take the path of least resistance' and said AI should be 'part of the solution.' Trending: Be part of the breakthrough that could replace plastic as we know it—Cuban's point is less about cheating than design. If assignments can be solved by a general‑purpose model, he argues, the problem is the assignment, not the student's ingenuity. He urged educators to change 'the path and how they learn,' warning that 'teaching like it's 2024' will soon be obsolete as generative systems spread. The billionaire has been on this beat for months. He told Gen Z at South by Southwest in March to "spend every waking minute" learning AI and has encouraged teens to build AI side hustles rather than wait for credentials. He's also warned there will be 'two types of companies,' those great at AI and those they put out of business, a framing he now extends to It Matters: Cuban has said AI could mint the world's first trillionaire, potentially 'one dude in a basement,' highlighting his view that mastery will drive outcomes over pedigree in the next decade. To him, classrooms that simulate that tool‑rich environment will serve students best. The former Shark Tank investor says he made it in the business world by refusing to retire in his mid‑30s and by pushing to be the best. Fresh out of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, he founded MicroSolutions in his 20s, aimed to retire by 35, but instead sold the firm at 32 for $6 million and took home about $2 million in profit. Photo Courtesy: Kathy Hutchins on Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Mark Cuban Says Its Not The Students At Fault But The School If Answers Can Be Generated With AI: Kids Take 'Path Of Least Resistance' originally appeared on
