McDonald's sales soar on viral Grimace campaign, but growth expected to slow amid inflation

McDonald's reported higher than expected sales in Q2, partially driven by a viral Grimace birthday promotion.
The #GrimaceShake hashtag garnered over 400 million views on TikTok, serving as free advertising.
Revenue increased 14% to $6.5 billion and net income almost doubled to $2.3 billion for the quarter.
Sales benefited from price increases and trading down by higher-income consumers, but inflation weighs on lower-income customers.
CFO predicts slowing growth in H2 as price hikes moderate with inflation, introducing value menus in some markets.