McDonald's: Incremental improvements to drive growth

McDonald’s Corp. is eyeing opportunities to gain global market share by continuing to optimize its menu, updating restaurants and expanding tiered value and premium-item promotions, executives told analysts in a call following the company’s third-quarter earnings report.

Net income rose 9 percent and global same-store sales increased 5 percent for the quick-service chain of more than 33,000 global restaurants, during a quarter in which commodity inflation pressured margins significantly.

Officials remain confident in the fourth quarter and going into 2012, said chief executive Jim Skinner.

“The [worldwide] informal-eating-out industry is growing at a slow pace, so we continue to be in a market share battle,” Skinner said. “Any victories will continue to be hard-won.”