McDonald’s key sales figure dips in April

OAK BROOK — McDonald’s says a key sales metric edged lower in April, with weakness across most regions.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain, which is in the midst of a turnaround plan, said Friday that sales at established locations open at least 13 months fell 0.6 percent in April.

By region, the biggest drop was in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, which fell 3.8 percent. In the U.S., the metric declined 2.3 percent. Europe was a bright spot, up 1 percent.

On Monday CEO Steve Easterbrook said that he will strip away the bureaucracy at McDonald’s Corp. so the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company can move more nimbly to keep up with changing tastes. McDonald’s profit dropped 15 percent last year.

Its shares edged up 62 cents to $97.40 in premarket trading.