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McDonald’s is bringing the value back to value meals — but Wall Street is watching

The Big Mac maker is leaning back into value deals as traffic cools and Goldman bets on a rebound.

9/2/25 2:48PM

McDonald’s is dialing down its combo prices in a bid to win back budget-conscious diners. Starting today, the chain will roll out eight Extra Value Meals, from the Big Mac to the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, priced about 15% below what you’d pay buying each item separately. Specials will also include an $8 Big Mac meal and a $5 breakfast combo, with breakfast offerings for popular items like the McGriddle.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s shares jumped after the burger giant posted a sales rebound in Q2 after a rough start to the year. Still, recent price hikes and online backlash over menu costs have been eating into its bottom line, with same-store traffic slipping, especially among customers earning under $45,000 a year. McDonald’s follows rivals like Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell and Dunkin’ rolling out more value meals to lure folks back into the drive-thru.

The chain hasn’t just brought back combos; last month, McDonald’s brought back its long-lost Snack Wrap after “countless posts” and online petitions asking for its return to menus nine years after it was removed.

Goldman Sachs also gave McDonald’s a fresh boost Tuesday, adding the stock to its high-profile Conviction List and setting a 12-month price target for $355 — or about 12% above its current trading levels. Analysts cited Mickey D’s global scale, digital ordering push, and brand loyalty as giving it staying power even as rivals turn up the heat with cheaper menu deals.

McDonald’s shares rose about 1% following the release, and are up roughly 7% year to date.

Max Knoblauch10/24/25

Premium seats help push airlines higher following third-quarter results

Shares of American Airlines are climbing toward the carrier’s best trading day since August 12, when ultra-budget rival Spirit issued its initial warning about its ability to survive. American’s shares are up more than 7% on Friday afternoon.

Investors’ optimism comes a day after American posted a better-than-expected full-year earnings forecast. In a call with investors, American said that it’s ramping up its premium cabin offerings.

“Our ability to grow capacity in premium markets will be further supported as we take delivery of new aircraft and reconfigure our existing fleet. These efforts will allow us to grow our premium seats at nearly two times the rate of main cabin seats,” CEO Robert Isom said. American CFO Devin May said that nose-to-tail retrofits of certain wide-body jets will bump the number of premium seats available on those planes by 25%.

Extra legroom has been a boon for major carriers, particularly this quarter. Delta Air Lines said its premium product revenue grew 9% in Q3, compared to a 4% drop in economy seat revenue. Similarly, United Airlines said its premium revenue grew 6%, outpacing economy. Shares of both airlines were up more than 3% on Friday.

Carriers with less exposure to first- and business-class tickets like Southwest Airlines and JetBlue didn’t see the same amount of momentum on the day.