With several blue chips reporting earnings yesterday, a mixed bag emerged showing some unexpectedly strong earnings and some delivering disappointing numbers.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) reported that sales were up this quarter, with the launch of their all-day breakfast in the US and recovering demand in China being largely responsible. McDonald’s have also launched several new items such as chocolate french fries, although it’s unsure how these have impacted sales as of yet.
Sales in US restaurants rose by 5.7% with the launch of the all-day breakfast, beating the 2.7% analysts estimated. McDonalds shares finished up 0.81% on the news.
Energy giant Halliburton (HAL) also released Q4 earnings, and the numbers tell the tale of the oil and gas sector, in general, reporting a loss of 3 cents per share for the quarter and 79 cents per share for the year.
Revenues at Halliburton also failed to meet analyst expectations, falling short of the $5.11bn expectation at $5.08bn. Halliburton shares finished down 3.01% for the day.