McDonald's reports higher profit and revenue, reverses U.S. same-store sales decline.

• McDonald's third-quarter earnings and revenue topped Wall Street's estimates.
• Its U.S. restaurants reversed last quarter's same-store sales decline.
• The recent E. coli outbreak across 13 states that's been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers was not mentioned in the earnings report.

On Tuesday, the company reported quarterly earnings and revenue that surpassed analysts' expectations, as its U.S. restaurants reversed the decline in same-store sales from the previous quarter.

The recent E. coli outbreak across 13 states that's been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers was not mentioned in the earnings report. CEO Chris Kempczinski is expected to address the situation for the first time on the company's conference call with investors at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Shares of the company fell less than 1% in premarket trading.

Based on a survey of analysts by LSEG, the company's reported results for the period ended Sept. 30 differed from Wall Street's expectations.

• Earnings per share: $3.23 adjusted vs. $3.20 expected
• Revenue: $6.87 billion vs. $6.82 billion expected

McDonald's reported a decrease in third-quarter net income from $2.32 billion to $2.26 billion, resulting in a lower earnings per share from $3.17 to $3.13.

Excluding certain items, the fast-food giant earned $3.23 per share.

Net sales rose 3% to $6.87 billion.

The company's global same-store sales fell 1.5%, which is a more significant decline than the 0.6% that Wall Street was anticipating, according to StreetAccount estimates. This decline was caused by the company's international markets.

Despite slightly weaker than predicted growth, U.S. same-store sales increased by 0.3% in the latest quarter, reversing the decline from the previous quarter. The company attributed the increase to its marketing efforts and a $5 value meal launched in late June, despite slight negative traffic to its U.S. restaurants.

McDonald's and its competitors are offering discounts and marketing strategies to entice customers to return to their restaurants due to a decrease in dining spending by diners. As an example, in August, McDonald's introduced limited-time Collector's Edition cups.

The company's two international divisions both experienced steeper declines in same-store sales compared to the previous quarter. The international operated markets segment, comprising France, Germany, and Australia, reported a 2.1% decrease in same-store sales. The international developmental licensed markets division experienced a 3.5% decline in same-store sales, primarily due to weak demand in the Middle East and China.

It is uncertain how the E. coli outbreak will impact U.S. sales in the fourth quarter, given that consumers are becoming increasingly selective about how they spend their money and where.

McDonald's has taken measures to ensure the safety of its menu items by removing Quarter Pounder burgers from menus in affected areas until the beef patties were cleared as the cause of the outbreak. Health authorities have identified slivered onions as the possible source of the outbreak, and McDonald's plans to serve Quarter Pounders without this ingredient at approximately 900 restaurants after ending its relationship with supplier Taylor Farms.

The E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's caused a 10% drop in foot traffic to U.S. locations in the three days following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's announcement, according to a research note from Gordon Haskett Research Advisors.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.