1231 ET - McDonald's needs to find additional ways to drive sales beyond collaborations and special promotions, say Stifel analysts. "Visitation data suggests that while special promotions clearly spike sales, gains tend to moderate between events," the analysts say. The company's new beverage lineup should help but it is unlikely to drive a structural comparable sales spike since product innovation has historically failed to have the same impact as collaborations. "Relying on special promotions remains a volatile strategy," the analysts say. "We believe the beverage expansion, while not a structural "silver bullet," is a necessary defensive maneuver to maintain relevance." (nicholas.miller@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 12, 2026 12:31 ET (17:31 GMT)

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