McDonald's Jan. Global Same-store Sales Fall 1.8%, Hurt By Asia

McDonald's Corp. said global same-store sales fell 1.8% in January, weighed down by a steep slump in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa sales. Same-store sales in that region fell 12.6%, on weakness in Japan and the lingering effects of a supply issue in China, the fast-food chain said in a statement. "The company's charge over the coming year is to accelerate the pace of change and elevate the overall McDonald's experience in the eyes of its customers," said the statement. In the U.S., same-store sales rose 0.4% as a positive breakfast performance offset aggressive competition from rivals. In Europe, same-store sales rose 0.5%, as gains in the U.K. and Germany offset poor results in Russia and France. Shares fell 0.7% in premarket trade and are down 1.2% in the last three months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 1.4%.