Costco Losing Altitude Despite Strong Quarter

Costco Losing Altitude Despite Strong Quarter

Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) sold off more than 2% on Friday despite beating Q3 2021 top and bottom line estimates by healthy margins. The big box retailer earned $2.75-per-share during the quarter, $0.47 better than expectations, while revenue rose a healthy 21.8% year-over-year to $44.38 billion, more than $500 million higher than consensus. U.S. sales rose 15.2% while e-commerce sales eased off the torrid 2020 pace, rising a still-impressive 38.2%.

The stock is finally trading in the green for 2021 following a steep first quarter decline that shed nearly 20%. A broad-based rotation out of the COVID-19 beneficiaries and into recovery plays dampened buying interest after last year's impressive 29% return and it's been slow to return.  Even so, Costco was trading at a 35.5 forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio before the report, marking a premium to rivals Walmart Corp. (WMT) and Target Corp. (TGT).