NEW YORK – McDonald’s Corp. on Friday posted an 8 percent gain in July same-store sales, despite a difficult U.S. economy.

Reports said that same-store sales grew 6.7 percent in the U.S. Total sales worldwide soared 15.9 percent. The world's biggest hamburger chain attributed the strong domestic performance to its focus on breakfast, chicken and drink items.

Same-store sales jumped 7.6 percent in Europe, led by sales in Britain, France and Russia. And in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, same-store sales climbed 7.2 percent because of extended hours and menu items. The strong July performance from McDonald's came amid rising costs that are affecting many other companies in the industry.

Last month, McDonald's reportedly warned of rising beef and chicken costs and said it may tweak its popular dollar menu to help offset some of this weakness. Soaring prices for corn and soybeans, which are main ingredients in animal feed, have boosted prices for beef and chicken.

Source: Associated Press