Consumer stocks were lower Friday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) falling 1.6% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) decreasing 0.6%.
In corporate news, Costco Wholesale's (COST) fiscal Q3 revenue topped market estimates buoyed by its gas business amid high fuel prices, but the warehouse chain's earnings fell short of expectations. Its shares fell 4.3%.