McDonald's has lower profit with weak u.s. sales results

22 Apr-McDonald's announced on Tuesday lower quarterly profit, as sales at established restaurants in the United States fell more than expected.
Sales at u.s. restaurants open at least 13 months fell 1.7 percent in the first quarter. The average of estimates from 21 analysts consulted by Consensus Metrix was 1.4 percent drop.
McDonalds has been registering a difficult scenario in the u.s. sales due to weak economic growth, stronger competition and internal errors that escalated the menus and service. The restaurant chain also has attracted fewer clients.
Elsewhere, the largest network of fast food in the world had better performance in revenue. Global comparable sales rose 0.5 percent, advance assisted in Europe, where there was high of 1.4 percent, compared with estimates of 1.2 percent expansion.
In the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, sales in the same stores rose 0.8 percent, compared with the high projection of 0.5 percent of analysts.
The company said that net income last quarter fell to 1.2 billion dollars, or 1.21 dollars per share, three cents below Wall Street estimates, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/s. profit compares to 1.27 billion dollars, or 1.26 dollars per paper, a year earlier.