Starbucks says US sales remain a bright spot as quarterly revenue falls short of forecasts

Strong U.S. demand pumped up Starbucks' results in its fiscal fourth quarter, but the coffee giant still fell short of revenue expectations.Starbucks said its global same-store sales rose 7.2% for the July-September period, which was higher than the 6% increase Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.That was largely due to strong demand in the U.S., where same-store sales jumped 7.7%. Starbucks said sales growth was broad-based, coming from different age and income levels and at different times of the day. Popular fall drinks drew customers, and Starbucks said matcha has grown into a $1 billion platform that is primarily enjoyed in the afternoon, which is also boosting traffic.Starbucks has also been working to winnow its U.S. stores to focus on those that are the most profitable. Starbucks announced in late September that it was immediately closing 250 North American stores. It was the second big round of store closures under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol,