With the economy being hit hard, a dollar saved is a dollar earned seemed to be the common motto this year. Yet surprisingly most Americans simply gave themselves up to the pleasure of eating junk food and saving some money in the bargain. The result- McDonalds grew prosperous despite recession!

After all, junk food is both satiating as well as inexpensive and tastes yummy as well. The results of spending enormous amounts on the salt and sugar added fast foods only succeeded in adding to the already bulging coffers of McDonalds.  The investors just had to take one look at the fast food giant’s performance on the “Dow Jones Industrial Average” and declare it as the winner. Astoundingly, McDonalds even managed to nudge out IBM, the blue chip company that had held sway last year.

With robust sales figures being reported from both American as well as European markets, the junk food giant emerged as a clear winner. The shares were up by 31% and each share stood at $100.33 on an average throughout the last week of 2011 after hitting an all time high of $100.82 earlier.

The news of the same store sales being reportedly up in Europe for McDonalds made the analysts delve deeply into the reason. The fast food chain is certainly not known for its luxury so it stands to reason that the cheaper fast foods do well in an economically challenged nation where the local populace is forced to resort to penny pinching be it in dollars, euros or any other currency.

The expansion of its menu has also helped McDonalds pick up its sales as has the introduction of McCafe, an inexpensive alternative to the popular Starbucks brand. The revamping of the McDonald’s stores worldwide might also have contributed to its sales but the basic fact remains its affordability.

The investors are not complaining though! In fact, the shareholders of McDonalds are simply “lovin' it."

Image Credit- checking-account-online.com; winonmarkets.net