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Costco (COST) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

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For the quarter ended August 2023, Costco (COST - Free Report) reported revenue of $78.94 billion, up 9.5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.86, compared to $4.20 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $78.56 billion, representing a surprise of +0.48%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +3.18%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.71.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Costco performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Number of warehouses - Total worldwide: 861 versus the six-analyst average estimate of 861.33.
  • Comparable sales - Total Company: 1.1% versus 1.36% estimated by six analysts on average.
  • Comparable sales - U.S. 0.2% versus 1.73% estimated by four analysts on average.
  • Number of warehouses - United States and Puerto Rico: 591 compared to the 591 average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Comparable sales - Canada: 1.8% versus 0.8% estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Comparable sales - Other International: 5.5% compared to the 3.15% average estimate based on two analysts.
  • Revenue- Membership fees: $1.51 billion compared to the $1.46 billion average estimate based on 10 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.7% year over year.
  • Revenue- Net sales: $77.43 billion versus $77.22 billion estimated by 10 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +9.4% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for Costco here>>>

Shares of Costco have returned +4.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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