McDonald's Q3 profit rises 12% on strong global sales

Oak Brook, Ill. McDonald's Corp. reported Thursday that earnings for the quarter ended Sept. 30 rose 12% to $1.4 billion, driven by growth across all areas of the world, said the fast-food hamburger chain.

Revenue systemwide for the quarter increased 4% to $6.304 billion, compared with $6.046 billion in the year-ago period.

Global same-store sales increased 6%, with the United States up 5.3%, Europe up 4.1% and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa up 8.1%.

"McDonald's customer focus, menu innovation and the ongoing modernization of our restaurants continue to drive our business momentum," said CEO Jim Skinner. "For the third quarter, we grew comparable sales and customer visits around the world and delivered increased profitability.”