NEW YORK (Associated Press) - McDonald's Corp. reports earnings for the fiscal second quarter on Wednesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Investors will be evaluating whether the troubled U.S. economy has taken any toll on McDonald's, the nation's No. 1 hamburger chain, in the second quarter. International sales have been strong all year, but in the first quarter, the chain reported one month of declining U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year. The drop was the first month of negative same-store sales in the country in five years.

Despite the one-month dip, same-store sales in April and May appeared to bolster the company's argument that it can withstand a recessionary environment. U.S. same-store sales rose 2 percent in April and climbed 4.3 percent in May. McDonald's said its new fried chicken sandwiches, offered on a biscuit in the morning and a bun in the afternoon, helped boost its May sales. The company began selling the items that month.

The company will release its June same-store sales when it reports its second-quarter results Wednesday.

Wall Street will also be watching for early indicators of how well its new gourmet coffee beverages have caught on with consumers. The company is now selling lattes and other espresso drinks in more than 1,300 U.S. stores.

Also in the quarter, McDonald's said its french fries are now trans-fat-free in all of its restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

BY THE NUMBERS: McDonald's has not offered any guidance for the quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expect profit of 86 cents per share on revenue of $5.92 billion.

ANALYST TAKE: Analysts are expecting the company to report earnings that either meet or beat the consensus Wall Street estimate. Buckingham Research Group analyst Mitchell J. Speiser said in an analyst note last week that most investors will likely be focusing on the company's June same-store sales.

Speiser expects June same-store sales to rise between 2 percent and 3 percent.

He added that strong demand for fast-food in international markets and the company's new espresso-based coffee drinks should both drive earnings growth.

STOCK PERFORMANCE: Shares climbed less than 1 percent during the quarter and jumped nearly 16 percent in the past 52 weeks.