Adult Happy Meals, McRib, feed McDonald’s sales in Q4

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Business Writer

Adult Happy Meals and other limited-time promotions boosted traffic at McDonald’s restaurants during the fourth quarter despite higher prices. The company said Tuesday that global same-store sales __ or sales at stores open at least a year __ rose 12.6% in the October-December period. That beat Wall Street’s expectations. U.S. sales soared in October after McDonald’s launched adult Happy Meals featuring limited-edition toys designed by the streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market. But McDonald’s warned that higher prices for food, labor and energy will weigh on its operating margins this year, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.