Fast-food colossus McDonald's (MCD -0.21%) disappointed investors yesterday by reporting unimpressive traffic and sales numbers for November.
McDonald's did relatively poorly in the United States, with comparable-store sales showing a 0.8% decline. Wall Street had expected an increase of 0.3%. That indicates slower traffic for McDonald's. The company's Asia-Pacific segment was also dragged down by poor numbers from Japan, where sales have been weak for more than six months.
McDonald's could be facing long-term headwinds in the United States. Fast-food workers have recently been pushing for a significantly higher minimum wage, and companies like McDonald's don't have the pricing power to pass along those higher costs to consumers.
Despite this, Motley Fool analyst Jason Moser thinks McDonald's is a great stock for income investors. It's likely to continue paying its steady, reliable dividend for years to come.