McDonald’s US sales grew at the fastest pace in more than two years in the fourth quarter as value meals continued to resonate with cost-conscious diners. Sales from established US restaurants jumped 6.8% in the period from a year ago when foot traffic was dented by an E. coli outbreak, ahead of expectations and the highest since 2023. Earnings, excluding one-time items, also outpaced the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg, as did comparable sales at the company’s two international divisions. The shares declined less than 1% at 4:48 p.m. in extended trading in New York, erasing an earlier gain. The stock has advanced nearly 6% this year through Wednesday’s close, outpacing the gain of the S&P 500 Index over the same period. Abby Roach, Senior Portfolio Analyst for the Empiric LT Equity Team with Allspring Global Investments, joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. She speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)