McDonald's (MCD +0.79%) has released comparable-store sales figures for April that reveal a modest decline. The fast-food giant's global comps slid by 0.6% during the month, led by a 2.9% fall in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region. McDonald's attributed this to the latest crisis with Avian flu and "softer results" in Japan and Australia.
Europe was better but not by much, recording a 2.4% decline. Encouraging performance in the U.K. and Russia was tempered by sluggishness in other nations such as France and Germany.
The situation was more positive in the U.S., which saw the only gain among the three regions. American comps for the Golden Arches nudged up 0.7% on the back of factors such as new product introductions and what McDonald's termed "compelling value options."
