Costco Wholesale (NasdaqGS:COST) 2025 Update Summary Industry Overview - The conference call pertains to the retail industry, specifically focusing on Costco Wholesale's sales performance for the month of September 2025. Key Financial Metrics - **Net Sales**: $26.58 billion, an increase of 8% from $24.62 billion in September 2024 [2] - **Comparable Sales**: - US: 5.1% - Canada: 6.3% - Other International: 8.5% - Total Company: 5.7% - Digitally Enabled: 26.1% [2][3] - **Traffic Growth**: Comparable traffic increased by 2.1% worldwide and 1.4% in the US [4] - **Average Transaction Value**: Increased by approximately 3.5%, with a 3.8% increase when excluding gas deflation and foreign exchange impacts [5] Sales Performance Insights - **Regional Highlights**: - Strongest comparable sales in the US were observed in the Northwest, Midwest, and Los Angeles [5] - Internationally, the best results were in Korea, Australia, China, and Taiwan, driven by holiday shifts [6] - **Merchandising Performance**: - Food and sundries: Positive mid-single digits - Fresh foods: Up mid to high single digits, with strong performance in meat and bakery [6] - Non-foods: Positive high single digits, with jewelry, majors, and health and beauty performing well [7] - Ancillary business sales: Up mid-single digits, with pharmacy, hearing aid, and optical as top performers [7] External Factors Impacting Sales - **Gas Price Deflation**: Remained relatively flat, negatively impacting total reported comparable sales by less than 10 basis points [4] - **Foreign Exchange Impact**: - Canada: Negative impact of approximately -2.5% - Other International: Positive impact of approximately +1% - Total Company: Negative impact of approximately -0.2% [4] Future Outlook - The next reporting period will cover four weeks from October 6 to November 2, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024 [8]

It's time to spotlight the government shutdown and the ripple effect it can have on your portfolio and certain consumer-driven stocks. Joining us now is Chris Versace, the portfolio manager of Street Pro Portfolio and the chief investment officer of Tamatica Research. Chris, thank you for being with us today.Now, I'd love to just start with your thoughts on the shutdown and and how the market's performing so far this morning. You know, we saw an initial dip which really wasn't much of a surprise, Marley, bu ...

Costco Wholesale (COST) 2025 Update Summary Industry and Company Overview - The call pertains to Costco Wholesale, a leading retail company, focusing on its sales results for August 2025 and providing forward-looking statements regarding its performance and market conditions [1][2]. Core Points and Arguments - **Sales Performance**: - Net sales for August 2025 reached $21.56 billion, marking an increase of 8.7% from $19.83 billion in August 2024 [2]. - Comparable sales growth was reported as follows: - US: 6.1% - Canada: 6.8% - Other International: 6.7% - Total Company: 6.3% - E-commerce: 18.4% [2][3]. - **Comparable Sales Excluding Gas and FX**: - US: 6.7% - Canada: 9.4% - Other International: 5.3% - Total Company: 6.9% - E-commerce: 18.3% [3]. - **Traffic Growth**: - Comparable traffic increased by 4% globally and 4.3% in the US [3]. - **Impact of Foreign Currencies**: - The US dollar's fluctuations affected sales: - Canada: -1.2% - Other International: +1.7% - Total Company: +0.1% [4]. - **Gas Price Deflation**: - Gas price deflation negatively impacted total reported comparable sales by approximately -0.6%, with the average worldwide selling price per gallon down by about -5.2% year-over-year [4]. - **Average Transaction Value**: - The average transaction value increased by 2.2% worldwide, and by 2.7% when excluding gas deflation and foreign exchange impacts [4]. Regional and Merchandising Highlights - **Regional Performance**: - Strongest comparable sales in the US were observed in the Midwest, Southeast, and Northwest regions. - Internationally, Australia, Taiwan, and the UK showed the best results [5]. - **Cannibalization Impact**: - The negative impact of cannibalization on total company sales was approximately -60 basis points [5]. - **Merchandising Categories**: - Food and sundries showed positive mid-single-digit growth. - Fresh foods increased by mid to high single digits, with strong performance in meat and produce. - Non-foods experienced high single-digit growth, particularly in jewelry, majors, and garden categories. - Ancillary business sales rose by low single digits, with optical, pharmacy, and hearing aids being top performers. - Gas sales declined by mid-single digits due to price changes [6][7]. Future Outlook - The September reporting period will cover five weeks from September 1 to October 5, 2025. - Q4 and total year FY 2025 earnings will be released on September 25, 2025, with a conference call scheduled for 2 PM PT [8]. Additional Information - The call will remain available until 4 PM Pacific Time on September 11, 2025 [9].

Core Insights - Costco's total comparable sales increased by 5.8% in June, driven by strong demand for fresh foods and non-food categories such as jewelry, major appliances, and gift cards [1] - The retailer's net sales rose by 8.0% to reach $26.44 billion during the retail month of June [3] Sales Performance by Region - In the United States, sales increased by 4.7%, while in Canada, sales rose by 6.7%, and in other international markets, sales grew by 10.9% [2] eCommerce Growth - Costco's eCommerce sales experienced an increase of 11.5% for the month [2] Sales by Category - Comparable sales in June showed high-single-digit growth in fresh foods, mid- to high-single-digit growth in non-foods, and mid-single-digit growth in June foods and sundries [4] - The ancillary business sales declined by low-single digits, and gas sales decreased by mid- to high-single digits [5] Consumer Behavior Trends - High-income consumers are increasingly seeking value, with affluent members trading down to private-label goods and lower-cost proteins [6] Delivery Enhancements - Costco partnered with Instacart to enhance delivery options, including Priority Delivery for faster service and No-Rush Delivery for scheduled orders [7]

Company and Industry Summary Company Overview - The company reported net sales of **$20.97 billion** for the month, representing an increase of **6.8%** from **$19.64 billion** in the same period last year [3] Sales Performance - Comparable sales results for the month were as follows: - **U.S.**: **4.1%** - **Canada**: **3.3%** - **Other International**: **6.6%** - **Total Company**: **4.3%** - **E-commerce**: **11.6%** [3] - When excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, comparable sales were: - **U.S.**: **5.5%** - **Canada**: **6.3%** - **Other International**: **8.4%** - **Total Company**: **6%** - **E-commerce**: **12%** [4] Traffic and Transaction Insights - Comparable traffic or frequency increased by **3.4%** worldwide and **2.8%** in the U.S. [4] - The average worldwide selling price per gallon of gas decreased by approximately **10.4%** year-over-year [5] - Average transaction value increased by **0.9%**, and when excluding gas deflation and foreign exchange, it was up **2.5%** [5] Regional Performance - Strongest comparable sales in the U.S. were observed in the **Northwest**, **Midwest**, and **Los Angeles** regions [6] - Internationally, the best results were in **Mexico**, **Taiwan**, and **Korea** [6] Merchandising Highlights - Foods and sundries showed positive mid to high single-digit growth, with strong performance in: - **Cooler** - **Candy** - **Frozen Foods** - Fresh foods increased by high single digits, particularly in: - **Meat** - **Bakery** - Non-foods also performed well with mid single-digit growth, especially in: - **Jewelry** - **Majors** - **Gift Cards** - Ancillary business sales declined by low to mid single digits, while pharmacy, optical, and hearing aid departments were top performers [7][8] Challenges and Risks - The negative impact of foreign currencies on total and comparable sales was approximately: - **Canada**: **-1.6%** - **Other International**: **-1.0%** - **Total Company**: **-0.4%** [5] - Gas price deflation negatively impacted total reported comparable sales by approximately **-1.3%** [5] - The negative impact of cannibalization was approximately **-70 basis points** for the company in May [6] Future Outlook - The upcoming June reporting period will include five weeks, starting from June 2 and ending July 6, compared to the previous year's five weeks from June 3 to July 7 [8]

Summary of Conference Call Company Overview - The conference call was led by Andrew Yoon, director of finance and investor relations, discussing sales results for the retail month of April, comparing it to the same period last year [1] Key Financial Metrics - Net sales for April reached $21.18 billion, marking a 7% increase from $19.8 billion in the previous year [2] - The month had one less shopping day compared to last year due to the shift in Easter, negatively impacting total and comparable sales by approximately 1.5% to 2% [2] Comparable Sales Performance - Reported comparable sales for April were as follows: - US: 5.2% - Canada: 1.5% - Other International: 3.2% - Total Company: 4.4% - E-commerce: 12.6% [3] - Comparable sales excluding impacts from gasoline prices and foreign exchange were: - Total Company: 6.7% - E-commerce: 13% [3] - Comp traffic increased by 4.2% worldwide and 5% in the US [3] Impact of External Factors - Foreign currency fluctuations negatively impacted total and comparable sales: - Canada: -1.6% - Other International: -2.5% - Total Company: -0.6% [3] - Gas price deflation negatively impacted total reported comparable sales by approximately -1.7%, with the average worldwide selling price per gallon down about 13.4% year-over-year [4] Regional Performance - Strongest comparable sales in the US were observed in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions [5] - Internationally, the best results were seen in Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan [5] Merchandise Highlights - Foods and sundries showed positive high single-digit growth [5] - Better performing departments included: - Fresh foods: high single digits - Meat and bakery: strong performance - Non-foods: mid to high single digits, with jewelry, majors, and home furnishings performing well [6] - Ancillary business sales were down mid to high single digits, while pharmacy, optical, and food court were the top performers [7] Future Outlook - The May reporting period will cover the four weeks beginning May 5 and ending June 1, compared to the same period last year [7]