Costco Wholesale Q1 Profit Tops View - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Membership warehouses operator Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) reported first-quarter net income attributable to the company of $496 million, or $1.12 per share, compared to $425 million, or $0.96 per share in the comparable quarter last year. On average, 23 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings per share of $1.09 for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Total revenue for the latest first quarter rose to $26.87 billion from $25.02 billion last year, while 21 analysts projected revenue of $26.92 billion.

Net sales for the quarter increased by 7 percent to $26.28 billion from $24.47 billion during the first quarter last year. Comparable sales for the first quarter were up 5%. Excluding negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange, 12-week total comparable sales rose by 7%.