Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Domino's (NASDAQ: DPZ) and the best and worst performers in the traditional fast food industry.

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 12 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.4%.

While some traditional fast food stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 3.7% since the latest earnings results.

Domino's (NASDAQ: DPZ)

Founded by two brothers in Michigan, Domino’s (NASDAQ: DPZ) is a globally recognized pizza chain known for its creative marketing and fast delivery.

Domino's reported revenues of $1.15 billion, up 3.5% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a slight miss of analysts’ same-store sales and EPS estimates.

"Q1 2026 represented another quarter of positive order count and market share growth for Domino's in the U.S.," said Russell Weiner, Domino's Chief Executive Officer.

The market seems disappointed with the results as the stock is down 21% since reporting and currently trades at $290.45.

Read our full report on Domino's here, it’s free.

Best Q1: El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO)

With a name that translates into ‘The Crazy Chicken’, El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) is a fast food chain known for its citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken recipe that hails from the coastal town of Sinaloa, Mexico.

El Pollo Loco reported revenues of $126.2 million, up 5.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and same-store sales estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 14.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $15.44.

Is now the time to buy El Pollo Loco? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Papa John's (NASDAQ: PZZA)

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s (NASDAQ: PZZA) is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $478.6 million, down 7.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Papa John's delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 2.9% since the results and currently trades at $34.78.

Read our full analysis of Papa John’s results here.

Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM)

Spun off as an independent company from PepsiCo, Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) is a multinational corporation that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

Yum! Brands reported revenues of $2.06 billion, up 15.2% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA and same-store sales estimates.

The stock is down 3.8% since reporting and currently trades at $150.50.

Read our full, actionable report on Yum! Brands here, it’s free.

Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN)

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s (NASDAQ: WEN) is a renowned fast-food chain known for its fresh, never-frozen beef burgers, flavorful menu options, and commitment to quality.

Wendy's reported revenues of $540.6 million, up 3.3% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Wendy's achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat among its peers. The stock is down 10.2% since reporting and currently trades at $6.24.

Read our full, actionable report on Wendy's here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.