The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that Circle K owner Couche-Tard slightly missed earnings estimates for its fiscal fourth quarter earnings because of lower fuel demand. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post says the Canadian convenience store and fuel retailer earned 46 cents per share on an adjusted basis, a penny short of the 47 cents estimated by analysts (all figures U.S.). Revenue in the quarter was $16.3-billion, down 7.5 per cent from last year, mainly due to lower fuel prices and weaker gas demand in the U.S. However, the fuel business maintained its market share in the country. "In the face of difficult economic and geopolitical conditions, we held the line in same-store sales in the United States and had strong positive results in Canada and Europe," chief executive officer Alex Miller said in a statement. Same-store merchandise revenues fell by 0.4 per cent in the U.S., Couche-Tard's most important market, but grew by 3.5 per cent in Canada and by 3.4 per cent in Europe and other regions. Same-store fuel volumes were down by 1.9 per cent in the U.S. and 0.6 per cent in Europe, but Canada saw a 3.7-per-cent increase. The earnings statement did not say anything about negotiations for the 7-Eleven chain.