McDonald’s Corp.’s stock fell 1.3% in premarket trading on Monday after the fast-food giant missed Wall Street analysts’ estimates for revenue and same-store sales, while citing an impact from war in the Middle East.
The global fast-food giant said it expects “macro challenges” to persist in 2024.
McDonald’s
MCD,
said its fourth-quarter net income rose by 7% to $2.04 billion, or $2.80 a share, from $1.9 billion, or $2.59 a share, in the year-ago quarter.
McDonald’s said the latest quarter’s results included 15 cents a share in one-time charges.
Breaking those charges out, McDonald’s would have earned $1.95 a share. Analysts expected McDonalds to earn $1.83 a share, according to FactSet data.
Revenue rose 8% to $6.41 billion, short of the FactSet consensus estimate of $6.45 billion.
Fourth-quarter global comparable-store sales increased by 3.4%, including a 4.3% rise in the U.S.. Analysts expected same-store sales growth of 4.7%.
McDonald’s said its comparable sales fell in the Middle East as a reflection of war in the region since Oct. 7.
All other same-stores sales rose in international developmental licensed markets.
Total international developmental licensed markets same-store sales rose by 0.7%, well below the result in the previous quarter, which saw a 10.5% increase.
Looking back at the balance of 2023, McDonald’s said its net income rose by 37% to $8.47 billion.
Revenue jumped by 10% in 2023 to $25.49 billion.
Free cash flow for 2023 increased to $7.25 billion from $5.49 billion.
Before Monday’s moves, McDonald’s stock was up by 10.9% in the past year.
