Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:COST) today announced its operating results for the first quarter (twelve weeks) of fiscal 2018, ended November 26, 2017.
Net sales for the first quarter were $31.12 billion, an increase of 13.3 percent from $27.47 billion during the first quarter last year.
While this year’s twelve-week first quarter included one less sales day in the U.S. than the first quarter last year (due to the shift of the Thanksgiving holiday this year), pre-Thanksgiving and Black Friday/Holiday weekend sales fell into the first quarter this year compared to the second quarter last year. Combined, these factors produced an estimated net benefit of approximately 1.5% in the U.S., and slightly less worldwide.
Reported net income for the quarter was $640 million, or $1.45 per diluted share, compared to $545 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, last year. This year’s first quarter benefited from a $41 million ($0.09 per diluted share) tax benefit related to a change in accounting rules for stock-based compensation. Last year’s first quarter benefited from a non-recurring $51 million ($0.07 per diluted share after tax) legal settlement.
Costco currently operates 746 warehouses, including 518 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 98 in Canada, 37 in Mexico, 28 in the United Kingdom, 26 in Japan, 13 in Korea, 13 in Taiwan, nine in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland and one in France. Costco also operates e-commerce web sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Korea and Taiwan.
more at: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2322836