Core Insights - Costco Wholesale Corporation's comparable sales increased by 6% in May, indicating a strong start to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, despite a gradual deceleration from previous months [1][9] - The U.S. market saw a 5.5% increase in comparable sales, while Canada and Other International regions reported gains of 6.3% and 8.4% respectively, highlighting Costco's global strength [2] - E-commerce comparable sales surged by 12%, reflecting robust demand across digital channels [2][9] Sales Performance - Total company comparable sales, including gasoline prices and foreign exchange effects, rose by 4.3% in May, leading to net sales of $20.97 billion, a 6.8% increase from $19.64 billion in the same month last year [4][9] - The ongoing sales momentum suggests Costco could finish the final quarter positively, despite macroeconomic uncertainties [3][5] Competitive Landscape - Dollar General Corporation reported a 2.4% increase in same-store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2025, driven by a 2.7% rise in average transaction amounts [6] - Target Corporation experienced a 3.8% decline in comparable sales, attributed to a 5.7% drop in store sales, although digital sales increased by 4.7% [7] Valuation and Estimates - Costco's stock has increased by 10.7% year-to-date, outperforming the industry growth of 6.3% [8] - The forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio for Costco stands at 52.14, higher than the industry average of 33.53 [10] - Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates year-over-year growth of 8% in sales and 12% in earnings per share for the current financial year [11]

When considering valuation metrics, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has always been the obvious choice as calculations based on earnings are easy and come in handy. However, in the case of companies that are incurring losses or are in an early cycle of development, generating meager or no profits, price-to-sales (P/S) is a good valuation metric to identify cheap stocks.Other than P/E and P/S, the price-to-book ratio (P/B ratio) is also an easy-to-use tool for zeroing in on low-priced stocks that have high ...

Company Overview - Luxury furniture company RH has seen its shares drop over 60% year to date, largely due to external factors such as tariff announcements and market volatility [1][2] - The company is currently facing challenges in a tough housing market, described as the worst in almost 50 years, which is expected to continue impacting operations [2] Market Conditions - The home furnishing market experienced a surge in demand during COVID-19, but rising interest rates have led to decreased home movement and remodeling activities, negatively affecting furniture sales [3] - The company is navigating a higher-risk environment due to tariffs, market volatility, and inflation [2] Expansion Strategy - RH is aggressively expanding in Europe, with existing galleries in England, Germany, Spain, and Belgium, and plans to open new locations in London and Paris [4] - The company invests heavily in its gallery locations, which are often in prestigious areas and designed to make a statement [5] Financial Performance - In the latest fiscal fourth quarter, RH reported a nearly 10% increase in revenue to $812 million, with adjusted EPS more than doubling to $1.58, although these figures missed analyst expectations [8] - Gross margins improved by 120 basis points to 44.7%, but SG&A expenses rose 14%, accounting for 36% of sales [8] Inventory and Production - Merchandise inventories increased by 35% to $1 billion, raising concerns as inventory growth outpaced sales growth, although the company views this as a strategic advantage in light of tariffs [9] - RH aims to have 14% of its total production sourced from the U.S. by year-end to mitigate tariff impacts [7] Valuation and Risks - The company trades at a forward P/E ratio of 14 times current fiscal year estimates, which is considered inexpensive given expected revenue growth [10] - However, potential tariff impacts and economic downturns could pressure earnings, especially given the company's existing leverage of $2.6 billion and negative free cash flow last year [6][11][12]