Costco (COST) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Costco (COST) reported $86.16 billion in revenue for the quarter ended August 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 8.1%. EPS of $5.87 for the same period compares to $5.15 a year ago.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $86.18 billion, representing a surprise of -0.03%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1.03%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $5.81.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:Comparable sales - Total Company: 5.7% versus 5.6% estimated by eight analysts on average.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Total Company: 6.4% versus 6.7% estimated by eight analysts on average.Number of warehouses - Total worldwide: 914 versus 913 estimated by seven analysts on average.Number of warehouses - United States and Puerto Rico: 629 compared to the 629 average estimate based on five analysts.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Other International: 7.2% versus 7% estimated by five analysts on average.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Canada: 8.3% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 7.6%.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - U.S.: 6% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 6%.Comparable sales - U.S.: 5.1% versus 5.6% estimated by four analysts on average.Comparable sales - Other International: 8.6% versus 8.4% estimated by three analysts on average.Comparable sales - Canada: 6.3% compared to the 7.3% average estimate based on three analysts.Number of warehouses - Canada: 110 compared to the 110 average estimate based on three analysts.Number of warehouses - Spain: 5 versus 6 estimated by two analysts on average.View all Key Company Metrics for Costco here>>>Shares of Costco have returned -0.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% 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.Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI ExplosionThe next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks