When Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) reported its fiscal second-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Thursday, the retailer said that it had $1.89 in earnings per share (EPS) and $37.27 billion in revenue. The consensus estimates had called for $2.04 in EPS and $37.52 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $1.89 in EPS and $34.74 billion in revenue.
Note that earnings were negatively affected by $283 million pretax, or $0.47 per diluted share, charge from incremental wage and sanitation costs related to COVID-19.
During the latest quarter, net sales increased 7.3% year over year, while membership fees increased 5.0%.
Comparable sales increased 4.8% on a companywide basis, driven by:
- U.S. comparable sales increasing by 5.9%
- Canada comparable sales decreasing 2.5%
- Other international comparable sales increasing 6.2%
- E-commerce sales increasing by 64.5%
Costco currently operates 787 warehouses, including 547 in the United States, 100 in Canada and 39 in Mexico. The remainder are located in the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland and China.
Costco Wholesale stock closed Thursday at $309.56, in a 52-week range of $233.05 to $325.26. Following the announcement, the stock was down about 2% at $309.56 in early trading indications Friday.
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.