Costco Comparable Sales Rise 5% In March

Costco Wholesale COST reported a 5% gain in its total same-store sales for the five-week period ended April 6. Costco's US comparable sales rose 6%, while international sales climbed 4%. However, analysts were estimating same-store sales to gain 3.5%. Excluding negative impacts from gasoline prices and foreign exchange rates, Costco's comparable sales rose 7%. Costco's net sales for the five-week period climbed around 8% to $10.43 billion. Costco shares closed at $113.05 yesterday.