McDonald's says a key sales figure fell 1.5 percent in February, its third decline in the past five months.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based company noted that February sales last year benefited from an extra day because it was a leap year.

In the U.S., the company said sales fell 3.3 percent. In Europe, they slipped 0.5 percent and in the region including Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa they fell 1.6 percent.

Excluding the impact of the calendar shift, McDonald's Corp. says sales rose 1.7 percent globally. The figure is a key metric because it strips out the volatility of newly opened and closed locations.