McDonald's New Value Menu Keeps the Pressure on Rivals

McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) opted for variety in its latest value menu launch. The fast-food titan this week announced over a dozen new dining choices for 2018 that are priced at either $1, $2, or $3. They include breakfast buys like a $1 egg and sausage burrito, classic burgers like the $2 Bacon McDouble, and a new premium chicken sandwich that will set you back just $3. Premium McCafe drinks are on sale, too.

This promotion follows a string of unusually strong operating results for the fast food chain. After dropping market share in each of the last three fiscal years, McDonald's booths are filling up more regularly now. In fact, customer traffic growth was positive -- and accelerated -- in each of the last three quarters.

Rising customer traffic helped sales at existing locations rise by 6% last quarter, which put McDonald's ahead of just about all its fast-food peers, including Restaurant Brands' Burger King and Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM) Taco Bell. Mickey D's is also outpacing casual dining upstart Shake Shack, where sales at existing locations are ticking lower this year despite a fast-expanding store base.

Source: Fool.com