McDonald's has bumpy end to a strong year after Middle East boycotts hurt sales

A banner year came to a bumpy end for McDonald’s, which lost sales in many markets due to the war in Gaza.

Global same-store sales – or sales at restaurants open at least a year – rose 3.4% in the October-December period, well below the 4.7% increase Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

Customers in the Middle East were angered after McDonald’s Israel – which is operated by a local franchisee -- announced in October it was providing free meals to Israeli soldiers. In response, some franchisees, like McDonald’s Oman, announced donations to relief efforts in Gaza.