McDonald’s Sales Surge, Kraft Heinz Pauses Split

February 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Format: Solo-hosted daily market update podcast, delivering a fast-paced recap of stocks, earnings, and economic news in under 10 minutes.
The Key Players:
- Host Zaidad Mani, a sharp financial commentator providing quick, digestible insights on markets without guests—his solo delivery keeps it snappy and opinionated.
The Vibe: Educational with a fun, sarcastic edge—light-hearted banter on corporate missteps and market ironies, perfect for quick commutes.

The episode covers daily market movements, standout earnings reports, and a quirky workplace stat, blending macro trends with company-specific drama.

Topic 1: Market Recap & Macro Shifts – Stocks flatlined post-jobs report boost; Fed rate cuts delayed to June/July amid Jerome Powell's term end. AI hype flipped to panic, hammering financials, real estate, and software stocks. Gold nears $2,050/oz, Bitcoin under $70K; CPI report looms tomorrow as a potential mover.
Topic 2: Food Giants' Value Pivot – McDonald's crushed earnings with 6.8% US same-store sales growth (best in 2+ years) via $5 meal deals and viral promos like the Grinch Meal. Kraft Heinz paused its split, with new CEO investing $600M in marketing/pricing to fight 9 quarters of sales drops and regain trust after post-pandemic price hikes backfired.
**Topic 3: Biot

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1 (00:36) **Market Overview and Jobs Report Impact**
2 (01:16) **AI Disruption and Sector Selloffs**
3 (01:37) **Commodities Update**
4 (02:15) **McDonald's Earnings Recap**
5 (03:57) **Kraft Heinz Pauses Company Split**
6 (05:36) **Viking Therapeutics Obesity Drug Update**
7 (06:53) **Cisco Earnings Reaction**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Market update for Thursday February 12, 2026

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In today’s episode:

AI disruption concerns continue to pressure financial and software stocks
McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales jump 6.8%
Kraft Heinz pauses its planned breakup and commits $600M to revive growth
Viking Therapeutics rallies as it advances its oral obesity pill to Phase 3 trials
Cisco beats earnings but falls on margin pressure and cautious AI guidance
Fun Fact: Americans are spending more of the workday sitting