Goldman Sachs Sees US Stock Buybacks Outpacing Equity Issuance as AI Funding Rises 
European Stocks Flat as Oil Prices Rise, US CPI in Focus 
OpenAI Executive Brad Lightcap to Leave for New AI Venture 
Anthropic Signs $9.1B AI Data Center Deal With Riot Platforms 
Samsung, SK Hynix Shares Surge on Report of Potential Temasek Investment 
CBA Posts Record A$10.98B Profit Despite Cautious Outlook 
U.S. Stock Futures Flat Ahead of July CPI Data 
Gold Prices Rise as Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
Hims & Hers Shares Fall as GLP-1 Costs Widen Q2 Loss 
Mercedes-Benz Stock Offers Deep-Value Potential as Citi Sees Recovery Catalysts 
Australia Sets New Minimum Pay, Insurance Rules for Gig Workers 
Asian Stocks Rise as AI Chip Rally Lifts South Korea, Japan 
Nvidia Seen Beating Q2 Targets as Vera Rubin Cycle Begins 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Talks Stall, Inflation Risks Grow 
Singapore Raises 2026 GDP Growth Forecast as AI Demand Fuels Economy 
S&P 500, Nasdaq Slip as Oil Jumps on Iran Tensions 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await U.S. Inflation Data 
McDonald's is set to hire 12,000 workers and open at least 200 new restaurants in Italy by the year 2025. The plan was revealed by the company's Italian unit's chief executive officer, Dario Baroni early this week.
According to Reuters, the McDonald's Italy chief was quoted by the local online publication Affari&Finanza-la Repubblica as saying that they will add thousands of additional workers within the 4-year timeframe. Apparently, the new hires will be assigned to the 200 outlets that the Italian unit of the American fast-food chain is planning to build.
"Italy is seen by the group as one of the markets with the greatest potential on a global scale," the McDonald's Italia chief stated. Baroni went on to say that in the next four years, the company is aiming to have a total of 800 restaurants in the country.
Currently, McDonald's have 630 outlets in Italy and the number of existing workers is 25,000. They are also increasing the headcount of the staff to 40,000 by 2025.
Dario Baroni also explained that the expansion plans and massive recruitment were put in place as they see Italy as one of the markets that have the biggest potential to grow on a global level.
In fact, Wanted in Rome reported that the leaders of McDonald's Italy have started to see significant growth that was credited to the surging take away, Drive-thru, and delivery orders. It was said that the transactions in the mentioned ordering options had boosted the total sales from less than 40% to over 60%.
The decrease in profits was due to the COVID-19 pandemic but McDonald's Italy has slowly been recovering through delivery, drive-thru, and take away orders. At the height of the pandemic, the restaurant chain's revenue in 2020 reportedly dropped to €1.4 billion compared to €1.6 billion in 2019.
Meanwhile, McDonald's first landed in Italy in 1986 and the very first outlet was built in Rome, near the famous Spanish Steps. The monumental stairway of 135 steps is one of the tourist attractions in the area so the burger joint's outlet there did so well. Eventually, more branches were launched and the country has more than 600 locations now.
