Stock Market News Today September 23 - McDonald's Falls, Micron Target, Palantir Rises

Wednesday’s biggest stock moves are telling three different stories about the economy.

McDonald’s is warning that higher prices are still changing how Americans spend, Micron is benefiting from AI’s appetite for memory, and Palantir is rising as investors bet its software can spread deeper into government systems.

Here’s the stock market news worth knowing today.

McDonald’s Falls as Inflation Keeps Customers Cautious

McDonald’s shares fell about 5% after the company warned that customer traffic could remain flat while inflation stays elevated, even as it unveiled an $8.5 billion plan to support franchisees.

The money will help restaurants modernise, but the bigger signal is what McDonald’s is seeing from its customers.

When one of America’s largest value-focused restaurant chains says people are still watching what they spend, it suggests higher prices are continuing to shape everyday choices such as eating out.

That makes the sell-off another warning that pressure on household budgets has not disappeared.

Micron Gets a $1,300 Target as AI Memory Demand Stays Hot

Micron makes the memory chips that allow servers to handle the huge amounts of data needed to run AI systems.

Citi raised its price target to $1,300 from $1,150, citing stronger DRAM pricing and shortages that could persist as AI demand grows.

The AI boom is spreading beyond the companies making headline-grabbing processors.

Every powerful AI server also needs vast amounts of memory, turning Micron into a critical supplier to the same data-centre buildout driving technology spending.

If demand keeps outrunning supply, higher memory prices could continue lifting profits.

Palantir Rises as AI Moves Deeper Into Government Systems

Palantir shares rose around 3% after Rosenblatt reiterated a $225 target, pointing to the FAA’s rollout of a new AI-powered flight-management system and Palantir’s broader work with the agency.

Palantir did not win the $875 million SMART contract itself, but it already supplies the FAA with data and AI technology through separate projects.

Investors are therefore betting on what could come next, rather than new revenue from this contract.

The bigger story is that AI is moving beyond office software and into infrastructure people depend on, including systems designed to make air travel safer and more efficient.

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