May 2 (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) beat Wall Street estimates on Tuesday for quarterly profits and comparable sales, powered by a sharp recovery in business in China and steady demand for its coffees and cold drinks in North America.
Even so, some analysts expected China sales to remain in the red after tumbling 29% the previous quarter.
Instead, the world's largest coffeehouse chain posted a 3% rise in China comparable sales in its second quarter ended April 2, boosting the company's international sales 7%, more than double the 2.94% increase of the average analyst's estimate, according to Refinitiv data.
Globally, the Seattle-based chain's comparable sales climbed 11%, trouncing analysts' expectation of a 7.36% rise.
Excluding one-time items, Starbucks earned 74 cents per share, beating estimates of 65 cents.