In the following video, Motley Fool consumer goods analyst Blake Bos walks investors through what this earnings report means for McDonald's (MCD -0.03%) and its shareholders. He tells us why this will be such an important quarter for new CEO Dan Thompson, and discusses some of McDonald's fourth-quarter initiatives to combat slowing U.S. sales. Investors will want to watch just how successful those efforts were. He also notes that if the stock pulls back after earnings, it could be an opportune time for investors to get in on a great company that is returning a lot of value to its shareholders while its cheap.
The relevant video segment can be found between 0:00 and 1:31.