McDonald’s domestic same-store sales for October, while down a slight 0.1 percent compared with a year earlier, still fared better than many analysts predicted after the company tempered expectations late last month in an investor conference call.
The monthly dip in same-store sales marks McDonald's first negative U.S. result since March 2008. Global same-store sales rose 3.3 percent in October, the company said.
McDonald's executives had cautioned investors during an Oct. 22 quarterly earnings conference call that domestic same-store sales in October would be flat to slightly negative, due in large part to difficult comparisons to year-earlier figures as well as some unseasonably cold weather early in the month. In October 2008, McDonald's global same-store sales rose 8.2 percent, which included a 5.3-percent jump in its U.S. restaurants.
However, the company pointed out that its U.S. same-store sales continue to outpace the quick-service industry.