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McDonald`s Announces Sales Report

McDonald`s on Tuesday sannounced worldwide sales at restaurants in July were up by 3.8 percent, boosted by strong sales of premium products in Europe. In the United States, the fast food chain reported a 1.9 percent rise in same-store sales, aided by sales from breakfast menu items and a premium coffee product launched earlier this year. This announcement clashes with the 4.9 percent increase in the same period a year earlier.

McDonald`s in Europe saw positive results last month in substantially all markets including France, the United Kingdom and Germany. Same-store sales in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions jumped 5.4%, compared with last year`s 4.1% increase, on strong sales in Japan. Shares of McDonald`s, which is based in Oak Brook, Illinois, were unchanged at $35.53 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The sales exceed analysts` estimates, which have predicted a range of 2.8 percent to 3.6 percent. McDonald`s is working to appeal to a broad range of consumers with premium items such as salads along with lower priced items, such as a new chicken snack wrap launched in the United States last week. In Europe, the company`s No. 2 market, same-store sales rose 5.0 percent against a year ago when sales were up 5.3 percent.