The stock market rebounded on Friday, with S&P 500 closing at a new record high, following the release of December jobs report. Non-farm payroll rose 50,000, below the 73,000 forecast and weaker than November’s revised gain of 56,000. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4% from 4.6% in November and below the expected 4.5%.
Overall, S&P 500 was 0.7% to 6,966, while NASDAQ rose 0.8% to 23,671.
Chart of the Day
Here is the one-year chart of McDonald’s (MCD) as of December 15, 2025, when the stock was at $319.
Macroeconomic pressures continued to constrain consumer spending, contributing to slow growth for as McDonald’s. Notably, traffic from lower-income customers — historically a key driver of volume — remained down double digits last quarter.
The company reported 3% revenue growth but profit growth was 0%. System-wide sales rose a solid 8%, with same-store sales up 4%.
To boost demand, McDonald’s worked to lower prices and expanded its promotional marketing campaigns. In the US, the Snack Wraps returned after a nine-year absence at a $2.99 price point, Extra Value Meals were reintroduced, and the MONOPOLY promotion made a comeback in the US after nearly a decade.
However, these initiatives have also put pressure on margins, though the company did not provide specific figures.
MCD is part of our Conservative Growth Portfolio.
