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Wall Street Futures Climb as Alphabet Wins Key Antitrust Ruling; Jobs Data in Focus

  U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, led by gains in tech heavyweights after a favorable court ruling for Alphabet. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures advanced, while Dow futures were little changed ahead of closely watched labor market data. Alphabet shares jumped over 5% in premarket trading after a Washington judge ruled the company will not be forced to sell its Chrome browser but must share certain data with rivals. The decision also allows Google to continue lucrative payments to Apple, sending the iPhone maker’s stock higher. Analysts said the ruling removes a major legal overhang for Big Tech and signals a preference for pragmatic remedies over structural breakups. Investors are now turning their attention to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report, due later in the morning, as part of a week packed with employment data culminating in Friday’s nonfarm payrolls. Weakness in recent jobs reports has fueled expectations of a September interest rate cut, ...
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McDonald’s Slashes Combo Meal Prices to Win Back Budget-Conscious Diners

 

McDonald’s is rolling out price cuts on select combo meals in a bid to lure back customers put off by rising fast-food costs. Starting September 8, the chain will reintroduce its “Extra Value Meals,” offering popular items like the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, and McCrispy sandwich paired with fries or hash browns and a drink at roughly 15% less than if purchased separately.

To kick off the promotion, most U.S. locations will feature an $8 Big Mac meal and a $5 Sausage McMuffin meal, though customers in California, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam will pay $1 more. The move comes after years of declining visits from lower-income customers, with industry data showing double-digit drops in fast-food visits among households earning under $45,000 annually.

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that combo meals priced over $10 have hurt the brand’s value perception. The company has faced criticism for steep price hikes in recent years, with the average menu price rising 40% since 2019 due to higher labor, packaging, and food costs.

The pricing shift could pressure competitors like Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Domino’s—already experimenting with their own deals—to follow suit. Whether these discounts will be enough to reverse the trend remains to be seen, but McDonald’s is betting that affordability will bring customers back through its golden arches.


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