(MCD -0.42%)

Because of its past successes, the bar is set high for McDonald's, which can overly magnify the significance of small dips in performance. All in all, the fast-food giant is still doing pretty well, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. The fact that Ramadan fell during August this year may have provided a boost in these largely Islamic parts of the world, considering that McDonald's is a quick, cheap, and filling meal after daily fastings.

Europe's economic slowdown will surely affect McDonald's bottom line, since 40% of revenue originates from that region. However, it's not yet clear exactly how the economy will affect sales, and it shouldn't be assumed that the impact will necessarily be a negative one. After all, when money's tight, McDonald's is a value provider of low-cost meals.

McDonald's franchise model would be a poor choice for many popular fast-food providers, but it makes a lot of sense as long as it's within the company's means. McDonald's is a truly global establishment, with about 20% of locations company-owned; this allows for country- and culture-specific tailoring that is a huge contributor to the brand's worldwide success. Shares are down at the moment, but McDonald's is still the force to be reckoned with in fast food.

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With more than 33,000 locations worldwide, McDonald's is a perfect example of how profiting from the increasingly global economy can be as easy as investing in your own backyard. In our free report "3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World," we spell out exactly how to play the global market without ever leaving U.S. territory. Click here to get your free copy before they're gone.