Costco's 2% reward program was an 11-basis-point headwind to margin on a reported basis and 9 basis points excluding gas deflation, due to more sales coming from Costco's executive members. ![]() Costco's discount gas prices, use of business centers and Costco travel, and sales from the food court provided a positive benefit to margin, though were partially offset by e-commerce. Costco's ancillary businesses - including gas stations, pharmacies, food courts, travel centers and hearing aid centers - provided a 13-basis-point tailwind on a reported basis, and increased 9 basis points, excluding gas deflation. Margins on fresh foods were down slightly but still above 2019 levels. Lower freight costs had a role on big ticket item margins improving. Costco saw a positive margin benefit from food, sundries and even nonfoods, despite sales of big ticket discretionary items like indoor home furnishings, small electrics, jewelry, and hardware being down 20%. Core merchandise was a 39-basis-point improvement on a reported basis and 24-basis-point improvement excluding gas deflation. On the post-earnings conference call with analysts and investors, Costco management broke down all the levers of the quarterly margin performance. As a result, Costco can pass on more savings to its members. While this means a one-time charge to earnings this quarter, this decision allows its merchandising teams to take better advantage of the current shipping market rates which are much more favorable. But now that shipping and container rates have improved dramatically, Costco no longer sees the need to charter. To understand why Costco recorded this charge in the first place, recall over the past couple of years when global supply chains went haywire, Costco began chartering vessels to make sure its warehouses were always stocked with goods from overseas. Merchandise costs would have been lower, if not for the charge. Strip out the impairment charge related to Costco's shipping activities, and the margin would have been more than 50 basis points higher. Costco's gross margins, excluding membership fees (which flow directly into profits), expanded 13 basis points from last year to 10.32%. What is harder to pin down - and this is mostly true for all retailers as they battle with inflation and inventory - is how margins fared. Quarterly commentary Costco releases its sales figures on a monthly basis, making it well-understood where sales land when it comes time to report quarterly results. The possibility of a membership fee increase and special dividend sometime in the future would be a nice cherry on top and keeps us as long-term owners of the stock. This approach will continue to drive market share gains and deliver dependable earnings streams for the foreseeable future. It's an unmatched value proposition that has been able to withstand whatever twists and turns happen to the macro environment. But Costco continues to outperform its peers thanks to the lowest prices on quality items it offers to its customers. Bottom line These are not the best of times for retail, with consumers pulling back on their discretionary spending on goods heading into an uncertain economy. The stock has gained more than 6% year to date, outperforming big box peers like Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW). Shares of Costco were roughly flat in after-hours trading at about $485 per share. ![]() Backing out this one-time figure gives you an adjusted EPS of $3.43, providing a better picture of how the business is actually performing. Costco recorded a non-recurring charge of $0.50 per share, primarily due to the discontinuation of its charter shipping activities. ![]() However, the reported results don't tell the full earnings story. Earnings Per Share (EPS) fell 3.6% year over year to $2.93, missing analysts' forecasts of $3.29 a share, Refinitiv data showed. Revenue for the quarter ended May 7 increased 2% year over year to $53.648 billion, missing analysts' expectations of $54.567 billion, according to estimates compiled by Refinitiv. The company's operational excellence - especially in trying times - is further proof that this is the best run retailer in the United States. Sales were touch softer than expected, but gross margin expansion was a positive surprise and bucked a negative trend of shrinking profits at other retailers this earnings season. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or LowerĬostco Wholesale (COST) delivered a solid earnings report for its third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit
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