McDonald’s January Sales Up 10% Worldwide

McDonald’s Corp. reported that sales at its company-owned and franchised restaurants rose 10% worldwide on a constant currency basis in January, and it said it expects strong growth in domestic and foreign operations in 2000. McDonald’s said it will report its sales data monthly. McDonald’s told analysts that it expects its earnings growth for 2000 to come in at the high end of the company’s previously stated projections for earnings growth of 10% to 15%. “Our market share lead continues to grow in every country that we do business, and the U.S. and Europe momentum which we’ve experienced in the last two years clearly continues into the year 2000,” Chairman and Chief Executive Jack Greenberg said. “Some of the challenges we’ve faced in international markets are largely behind us.” Shares in McDonald’s, which operates more than 26,000 restaurants in 118 countries, rose $1.38 to close at $36.31 on the NYSE.