News Release

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports Second Quarter and Year-to-Date Operating Results for Fiscal Year 2012, and February Sales Results
ISSAQUAH, WA, Feb 29, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: COST) announced today its operating results for the second quarter (twelve weeks) and first half (24 weeks) of fiscal 2012, ended February 12, 2012, and its sales results for the four weeks ended February 26, 2012.
Net sales for the quarter increased ten percent, to $22.51 billion, from $20.45 billion last year. Net sales for the first half increased eleven percent, to $43.69 billion, from $39.27 billion last year.
Comparable sales were as follows:
12 Weeks 24 Weeks ------------ ------------ U.S. 8% 9% International 8% 9% Total 8% 9% ============ ============
Inflation in gasoline prices had a positive impact on comparable sales, particularly for the twenty-four-week period; foreign currencies had a negative impact, particularly for the twelve-week period. Excluding these effects, comparable sales were as follows:
12 Weeks 24 Weeks ------------ ------------ U.S. 7% 7% International 10% 10% Total 7% 7% ============ ============
Net income for the quarter was $394 million, or $.90 per diluted share, compared to $348 million, or $.79 per diluted share, last year. Net income for the first half was $714 million, or $1.62 per diluted share, compared to $660 million, or $1.49 per diluted share, last year.
The Company today also reported net sales of $7.04 billion for the four weeks ended February 26, 2012, an increase of ten percent from $6.38 billion in the same four-week period of the prior fiscal year. For the six-month retail reporting period of September through February, the twenty-six weeks ended February 26, 2012, which includes the first two weeks of the Company's fiscal third quarter, the Company reported net sales of $47.22 billion, an increase of eleven percent from $42.46 billion during the comparable period of the prior fiscal year.
Comparable sales for the 4-week retail-reporting month of February and the 26-week retail-reporting period of September through February were as follows:
4 Weeks 26 Weeks ------------ ------------ U.S. 8% 9% International 8% 9% Total 8% 9% ============ ============
Inflation in gasoline prices had a positive impact on comparable sales, particularly for the twenty-six week period; foreign currencies had a negative impact for both periods. Excluding these effects, comparable sales were as follows:
4 Weeks 26 Weeks ------------ ------------ U.S. 7% 7% International 9% 10% Total 7% 7% ============ ============
Costco currently operates 600 warehouses, including 433 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 82 in Canada, 32 in Mexico, 22 in the United Kingdom, 13 in Japan, eight in Taiwan, seven in Korea and three in Australia. The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada. The Company plans to open up to an additional ten new warehouses (including the relocation of a warehouse to a larger and better-located facility) prior to the end of its fifty-three-week fiscal year on September 2, 2012.
A conference call to discuss these second quarter operating results and February sales is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (PT) today, February 29, 2012, and is available via a webcast on www.costco.com (click on Investor Relations and "Play Webcast").
Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, and consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, actions of suppliers, rising costs associated with employees (including health care costs), energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company's public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (dollars in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) 12 Weeks Ended 24 Weeks Ended -------------------------- -------------------------- February 12, February 13, February 12, February 13, 2012 2011 2012 2011 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ REVENUE Net sales $ 22,508 $ 20,449 $ 43,689 $ 39,272 Membership fees 459 426 906 842 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Total revenue 22,967 20,875 44,595 40,114 OPERATING EXPENSES Merchandise costs 20,139 18,235 39,070 34,992 Selling, general and administrative 2,176 2,038 4,321 3,979 Preopening expenses 6 4 16 16 Provision for impaired assets and closing costs, net. 2 2 1 6 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Operating income 644 596 1,187 1,121 OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) Interest expense (27) (27) (54) (53) Interest income and other, net 10 4 47 9 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 627 573 1,180 1,077 Provision for income taxes 215 204 440 376 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Net income including noncontrolling interests 412 369 740 701 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (18) (21) (26) (41) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO $ 394 $ 348 $ 714 $ 660 ============ ============ ============ ============ NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO: Basic $ 0.91 $ 0.80 $ 1.64 $ 1.52 ============ ============ ============ ============ Diluted $ 0.90 $ 0.79 $ 1.62 $ 1.49 ============ ============ ============ ============ Shares used in calculation (000's) Basic 434,535 436,682 434,374 435,385 Diluted 439,468 443,186 440,036 442,283 Cash dividends declared per share $ 0.240 $ 0.205 $ 0.480 $ 0.410
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (dollars in millions) (unaudited) Subject to Reclassifications February 12, August 28, 2012 2011 ------------ ------------ ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,389 $ 4,009 Short-term investments 1,396 1,604 Receivables, net 1,092 965 Merchandise inventories 6,934 6,638 Deferred income taxes and other current assets 549 490 ------------ ------------ Total current assets 14,360 13,706 Property and equipment, net 12,519 12,432 Other assets 632 623 ------------ ------------ TOTAL ASSETS $ 27,511 $ 26,761 ============ ============ LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current portion of long-term debt $ 900 $ 900 Accounts payable 6,334 6,544 Other current liabilities 5,175 4,606 ------------ ------------ Total current liabilities 12,409 12,050 Long-term debt, excluding current portion 1,380 1,253 Deferred income taxes and other liabilities 903 885 ------------ ------------ Total liabilities 14,692 14,188 ------------ ------------ Total Costco stockholders' equity 12,232 12,002 Noncontrolling interests 587 571 ------------ ------------ Total equity 12,819 12,573 ------------ ------------ TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 27,511 $ 26,761 ============ ============
CONTACTS: Costco Wholesale Corporation Richard Galanti 425/313-8203 Bob Nelson 425/313-8255 Jeff Elliott 425/313-8264
SOURCE: Costco