Improving international sales helped McDonald’s overcome some weakness at home in the fourth quarter.
McDonald’s same-store sales in the U.S., or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 1.4% in the October-December period after an E. coli outbreak tied to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers dented demand, the company said Monday.
But same-store sales in its licensed markets overseas climbed 4.1%. McDonald’s had strong sales growth in the Middle East, where sales have struggled in recent years, and Japan.
Overall, McDonald’s global same-store sales rose less than 1% for the fourth quarter. That was better than the 1.1% decline Wall Street had forecast, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Fourth-quarter revenue fell slightly to $6.38 billion. That was short of the $6.45 billion analysts were expecting.
The company’s fourth-quarter net income also fell, 1% to $2.01 billion. Adjusted for one-time items, McDonald’s earned $2.83 per share, which was lower than the $2.85 per share than Wall Street anticipated.
Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press
