Group 1 - Costco reported a retail sales growth of 8% in June, surpassing May's growth of 6.8% [1] - Comparable sales, adjusted for gasoline prices and currency, increased by 6.2% over five weeks, with international markets growing by 8.2%, Canada by 7.9%, and the U.S. by 5.5% [1] - Analysts have mixed views on Costco's outlook, with some noting a trend of declining U.S. foot traffic below 3% for two consecutive months [1] Group 2 - Evercore ISI analyst Greg Melich highlighted a core comparable sales growth of 6% but indicated a sales slowdown trend for the second half of the year [1] - Bank of America holds a more optimistic view, expecting a rebound in foot traffic in July due to extended store hours and additional Saturday hours [1] - UBS maintains a neutral stance, acknowledging a slowdown in overall comparable sales growth due to high base effects from gift card and precious metal sales [1] Group 3 - As of the report, Costco's stock rose 0.4% to $985.5, with a year-to-date increase of 7%, outperforming the S&P retail index ETF (XRT) [2] - Wall Street analysts generally rate Costco as "moderate buy," with an average target price of $1107.89, representing a 12% upside from the current stock price [2]