Finance & Capital Management

Oak Brook, Ill. – Despite declines in European and Asia-Pacific/Middle East/Africa (APMEA) same-store sales, positive domestic same-store sales performance in July resulted in a small global increase for McDonald’s Corporation. The fast-food giant reported 1.6% domestic same-store sales growth compared to July 2012 as well as 1.9% declines in both Europe and APMEA same-store sales, averaging out to a 0.7% global increase.

By Ted Vaughan, [email protected]

The year 2012 was the best year for retail IPOs since 2002 — S&P Capital IQ reported seven offerings for the year — and when we released our 2013 IPO Outlook Study earlier this year, 30% of capital markets executives expected initial public offerings (IPOs) in the retail and consumer products space to continue to grow in 2013. Now that we’re well into the second half of the year, how have those expectations fared?

New York -- Jones Lang LaSalle has added another financing expert to its growing Capital Markets team in Dallas. Industry veteran Jeff Zickefoose joins has joined the firm as senior VP. He will work with Managing Director Randy Fleisher and the rest of the team to provide strategic services to clients throughout the region.

“Jeff brings nearly 20 years of financial experience and a long track record of originating debt on behalf of leading commercial mortgage debt providers,” said Fleisher.

New York -- A group of 11 large U.S. retailers that report same-store sales results each month had a generally strong showing in July. However, Thomson Reuters analysis indicates significant discounting helped drive an overall 4.4% increase, more than double the 1.4% same-store sales rise recorded in July of last year.

In one of the stranger situations in retail right now, J.C. Penney is defending itself against charges by activist investor Bill Ackman that it’s not moving fast enough to hire a full time CEO and remedy a situation that Ackman created when the guy he picked nearly destroyed the company.

Columbus, Ohio – L Brands, parent company of retail chains including Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, is raising its income guidance for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 due to early sales results. Total revenue for July rose 4% to $678.4 million from $649.8 million, while same-store sales climbed 4%.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $7.87 billion for the month of July, the four weeks ended August 4, an increase of 7% from $7.36 billion during the similar period last year.

For the 48 weeks ended August 4, the company reported net sales of $94.91 billion, an increase of 8% from $87.7 billion during the similar period last year.

Stephen L. Hittman has been developing supermarket-anchored shopping centers for three decades. In 2001, he founded Crossroads Companies. As president and CEO of Crossroads, he has built a regional portfolio of supermarket-anchored centers valued at more than $200 million.