[$$] Golden Arches Offer Shelter in Storm (at The Wall Street Journal Online)

Word Count: 480 | Companies Featured in This Article: McDonald's, Wal-Mart Stores, Yum Brands, Boeing, Air China In good times, people have expensive tastes. In bad times, they skimp. That is potentially good news for McDonald's, the world's No. 1 fast-food slinger, which reports second-quarter results Wednesday. Wall Street thinks its earnings per share rose 21% from a year ago. Like Wal-Mart Stores and other lower-end retailers, fast-food chains such as McDonald's benefit when cash-strapped customers "trade down" from pricier options. McDonald's also thrives on a weaker dollar, which makes overseas earnings worth more back home. McDonald's sales have held up surprisingly well in Europe, source of about 40% of revenue. Like other... [read full story]