Monday Afternoon Business Brief

• Stocks have edged higher on Wall Street after a strong sales report from McDonald's. Investors continue to wait for more instructive information regarding developments in U.S. budget talks.
• Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn and a New York City hotel maid have signed a settlement of her sexual-assault lawsuit. A judge announced the deal, but the amount is confidential.
• McDonald's says a key sales figure rebounded in November. The fast food giant's U.S. customers snapped up breakfast offerings as well as limited-time Cheddar Bacon Onion sandwiches.
• Coastal areas of New Jersey and New York lost their boardwalks to Superstorm Sandy's surge. Now they are racing to rebuild them in time for tourist season, and in some places, without the boards.
• Maserati plans to boost production in Italy.  Ambitious plans call for selling 50,000 Maserati's a year by 2015.

Read more business stories on the Back To Business page.