McDonald’s Corp. missed Wall Street’s third-quarter sales forecasts due to weakness in international markets. McDonald's saw a decline in long-standing restaurant sales, missing analyst expectations, but U.S. sales experienced slight growth. Challenges included inflation, consumer cutbacks, and Middle Eastern boycotts. The company’s strategy of value deals, like a $5 meal in the U.S., aims to attract budget-conscious diners. Amid these results, McDonald’s contends with fallout from a recent E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounders.