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AI Likely to Become Functional Part Across Retail Operations, UBS Says
US Markets

AI Likely to Become Functional Part Across Retail Operations, UBS Says

Artificial intelligence will likely become a functional part across retail operations, with implications ranging from demand generation to cost structures, UBS Securities said in a note emailed Friday.The US hardline and food retail sector has mostly used AI in areas such as marketing, customer service chatbots and basic inventory optimization, the brokerage said.However, the technology is now being adopted more broadly across different functions, UBS analysts, including Michael Lasser, said."As consumers increasingly rely on large language models and agentic systems to discover, evaluate, and purchase goods, traditional traffic channels -- stores and websites -- may become less central," Lasser said. "This raises important questions around traffic monetization, particularly for high-margin businesses such as retail media."UBS expects higher-income consumers to influence demand dynamics, as the top 10% of households dictate about half of all spending.AI may exacerbate income inequality, benefiting premium categories and adding pressure on value-oriented segments, according to the UBS note. This means retailers may have to alter strategies to reflect "a more bifurcated consumer landscape."Retailers that use AI-driven marketing are likely to see improved customer acquisition efficiency, Lasser said.On the cost management front, he said working capital needs could drop due to the automation of repetitive processes and improved inventory management systems.While AI helps improve accuracy in stores and distribution centers, it introduces new costs, including cloud computing, data governance and cybersecurity, Lasser said.Retailers with integrated ecosystems are likely best positioned to benefit from mounting AI adoption, according to UBS. They include Walmart (WMT), Costco Wholesale (COST), Target (TGT), Home Depot (HD), Lowe's (LOW) and Kroger (KR).Also on that list are AutoZone (AZO), O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY), Wayfair (W) and Williams-Sonoma (WSM).Price: $120.42, Change: $-0.08, Percent Change: -0.07%

$AZO$COST$HD$KR$LOW$ORLY$TGT$W$WMT$WSM
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Mixed Late Afternoon

Consumer stocks were mixed late Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) decreasing 0.4% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) adding 0.4%.In corporate news, Walmart (WMT) investors voted against a proposal asking the retailer to report on how its use of AI is affecting worker well-being, Reuters reported, citing preliminary voting results from the shareholder meeting. The shareholder proposal was filed by United for Respect, the report said. Walmart shares were up 0.5%.General Motors (GM) has rehired more than 100 members of its Cruise unit's team 18 months after killing off the self-driving vehicle unit, The Information Electric reported, citing Rashed Haq, GM's vice president of autonomous vehicles. GM shares were up 1.9%.Costco (COST) shares rose 0.8% after the company reported net sales of $24.01 billion in May, up from $20.97 billion a year earlier.Hyatt Hotels (H) shares climbed 1.8% after HSBC upgraded the stock to buy from hold with a price target of $212 per share.

$COST$GM$H$WMT
Costco's Debt Issuance Filing Could Mean Special Dividend on the Cards, Truist Says
US Markets

Costco's Debt Issuance Filing Could Mean Special Dividend on the Cards, Truist Says

Costco Wholesale's (COST) recent regulatory filing to issue debt indicates the company could be preparing to declare a special dividend, Truist Securities said Thursday.On Wednesday, the warehouse club operator filed a shelf registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission covering the potential sale of debt securities from time to time."A special dividend may be coming soon, which we estimate could be around $30 or a (roughly) 3% yield," Truist Managing Director Scot Ciccarelli said in a note to clients Thursday.Costco has roughly $19 billion in cash, with more than $13 billion in net cash, prompting the brokerage to speculate about a special dividend."We think the only reason the (company) would need to raise debt capital would be to fund a special dividend, which is something (it) has done every few years in the past as way to enhance shareholder value," Ciccarelli said.Assuming a $30 dividend, it would equate to a little more than a $13 billion payout, Truist said. The company could fund $8 billion to $10 billion of that amount with debt and the remaining with cash, according to the note.Also on Wednesday, Costco reported net sales of $24.01 billion for May, up nearly 15% year over year. Consolidated comparable sales rose 12.5%, with the US seeing a 13.7% gain."Costco continues to underscore its ability to cater to its increasingly value-driven consumer base that's undergoing greater pressure with its extreme value proposition," Ciccarelli said Thursday. "May's results are tracking ahead of our (fourth-quarter estimates) so far, but our estimates remain unchanged as comparisons get more difficult throughout the quarter."Costco shares were up 0.9% in late-afternoon trade. So far in 2026, the stock has jumped nearly 16%.Last week, the company's fiscal third-quarter revenue topped market estimates buoyed by its gas business amid high fuel prices, though earnings fell short of expectations.Price: $971.94, Change: $+10.10, Percent Change: +1.05%

$COST
Wire

Costco Wholesale May Sales Show 'Steady Execution,' UBS Says

Costco Wholesale's (COST) sales results in May demonstrate "steady execution" amid concerns about higher energy costs, elevated interest rates and less benefit from tax refunds, UBS Securities said in a note emailed Thursday."At least for Costco, this isn't occurring," UBS said, referring to fears of a weakening consumer. "In fact, we'd argue its strong momentum indicates its value proposition is even more compelling in this type of environment."The warehouse retailer's investments in pricing on consumable items delivered a "healthy return" through accelerated comparable sales, UBS said.UBS maintained its buy rating and $1,275 price target on the stock.Price: $972.34, Change: $+10.51, Percent Change: +1.09%

$COST
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Advance in Afternoon Trading

Consumer stocks rose Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) edging up 0.1% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) gaining 0.4%.In corporate news, Costco (COST) shares rose 1.5% after the company reported net sales of $24.01 billion in May, up from $20.97 billion a year earlier.Brown-Forman's (BF.A, BF.B) fiscal Q4 earnings unexpectedly declined on an annual basis, while the wine and spirits maker projected flat organic sales this year amid a weak consumer backdrop. Its Class A shares were up 0.8%, and the Class B shares rose 1.4%.Toro (TTC) on Thursday lifted its full-year outlook on the back of a fiscal Q2 beat that came amid broad-based customer demand and margin expansion. Toro shares added 1.1%.

$BF.A$BF.B$COST$TTC
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer

Consumer stocks advanced Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) increasing 0.3% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) up 0.4%.In corporate news, Costco (COST) shares rose 1.7% after the company reported net sales of $24.01 billion in May, up from $20.97 billion a year earlier.

$COST
Asia Markets

US Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell as Broadcom Falls, Clashes Continue in Middle East

US equity futures were mixed pre-bell Thursday as traders watched tech giant Broadcom's (AVGO) stock drop after the company posted its fiscal Q2 financial results and attacks continued in the Middle East.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.9% higher, S&P 500 futures were down 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures were 1.2% lower.Broadcom shares were down 15% in premarket activity as the company issued below-consensus guidance for fiscal Q3 AI-chip revenue.Kuwait reported that an Iranian missile and drone strike hit the country's international airport, killing one person and injuring dozens more. Iran claimed that it launched a retaliatory attack on US military bases in Kuwait after an earlier set of airstrikes by US forces.Traders also digested the latest round of earnings, with CrowdStrike (CRWD) posting higher fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 3% at $94.89 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 3.2% lower at $92.97 per barrel.The weekly jobless claims bulletin, released at 8:30 am ET, showed 225,000 new unemployment claims for the week ended May 2, compared with the downwardly revised figure of 212,000 in the prior week, and it came in above the 215,000 expected, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Q1 nonfarm productivity increased at a 0.3% annual rate, below forecasts for 0.4%, while unit labor costs increased 1.8%, compared with the 2.4% expected.Federal Reserve Richmond President Thomas Barkin and San Francisco President Mary Daly are slated to speak on Thursday.In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.4% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.5% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.6% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.2%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.6% higher in Europe's early afternoon session.In equities, CrowdStrike stock was down 10% after the company reported its fiscal Q1 financial results. ARM (ARM), Micron Technology (MU), and Marvell Technology (MRVL) shares were all down as part of a broader stock sell-off in the semiconductor industry. ARM shares fell 6%, Micron stock was down 6.4%, and Marvell shares dropped 5.9%.On the winning side, Eli Lilly (LLY) was up 1.3% after Ascidian Therapeutics said the company will receive exclusive, target-specific rights to Ascidian's RNA exon editing technology for undisclosed kidney disease targets in exchange for up to $1.9 billion under a new research partnership and licensing agreement. Costco Wholesale (COST) shares rose 2.3% after the company reported net sales of $24.01 billion for May, up from $20.97 billion a year earlier. RTX (RTX) stock was up 2.2% after the company said that its Raytheon unit was awarded a $515 million contract from the US Navy for the SPY-6 family of radars.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ARM$AVGO$COST$CRWD$LLY$MRVL$MU$RTX
Equities

Costco Wholesale Gas Stations Set Fuel Sales Records as Consumers Seek Lower Prices

Costco Wholesale (COST) said Friday its gas stations set all-time fuel sales volume records during the fiscal Q3 as consumers sought lower-priced gasoline amid rising fuel costs."Nowhere has this been more apparent in the third quarter than our gas business," Chief Executive Ron Vachris said on the company's earnings call, reported by Fox Business News."The result was record-breaking volumes. All three four-week fiscal periods of the quarter set successive all-time company volume sales records, with the final five weeks of the quarter becoming our top five volume weeks ever."Vachris said higher fuel prices and supply disruptions linked to events in the Middle East drove demand, adding that many members used Costco gas stations for the first time during the quarter.

$COST
Japan

US Equity Indexes Scale New Peaks Ahead of Trump's Decision on Iran Peace Agreement

US equity indexes touched all-time highs as technology soared ahead of President Donald Trump's decision on Friday on a preliminary Iran peace agreement.The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.2% to 26,972.62, with the S&P 500 up 0.2% to 7,580.06, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.7% to 51,032.46 on Friday. All three gauges scaled new peaks earlier in the day.Dell Technologies (DELL) shares catapulted 33%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company reported overnight fiscal Q1 financial results that topped analyst estimates and issued higher-than-expected guidance for fiscal Q2 and the full year.President Donald Trump said Friday on Truth Social that he is meeting now in the Situation Room to make a final determination on the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.The ceasefire would need to include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and dismantling Tehran's capacity to make a nuclear weapon, the president has said previously.Iranian officials have used the talks to project confidence that they retain significant military options should diplomacy fail, CNN reported Friday. Any renewed conflict would spread "far beyond the region," threatening "crushing blows" and "utter ruin" in places opponents "cannot even imagine," the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were cited as saying.Brent crude futures fell 1.7% to $92.05, and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures declined 1.1% to $87.80.Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said Friday that she is seeking greater clarity on the Middle East conflict before determining the monetary policy path forward."Economic research suggests that, in response to temporary adverse energy supply shocks, policy should not be overly aggressive at stabilizing total inflation to keep employment close to our maximum-employment goal," Bowman said at the Reykjavik Economic Conference.Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 1.8 basis points to 4.44%. The two-year declined 2.5 basis points to 4%.In economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's Chicago PMI reading jumped to 62.7 in May from 49.2 in April, larger than the expected 50.3 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and the highest reading in over four years.Further in company news, Costco Wholesale (COST) posted higher fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue late Thursday. The company's net new warehouse openings in fiscal 2026 are, however, set to be below its previous guidance, according to an earnings conference call following the results. Its shares dropped 3.9%, among the worst performers on the Nasdaq.The Dow's leader was IBM (IBM), with shares soaring 13%, after the company said in a filing that it plans to invest more than $10 billion over the next five years to support quantum computing development.In precious metals, gold futures jumped 1% to $4,578.2, while silver futures slipped by less than 0.1% to $75.90.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$COST$DELL$IBM
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

Consumer stocks were lower late Friday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) falling 1.5% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) decreasing 0.7%.In corporate news, SiriusXM's (SIRI) discussions over a possible acquisition of iHeartMedia (IHRT) have hit an impasse after the two sides were unable to come to terms, The New York Times Dealbook reported. iHeartMedia shares dropped 13%, and SiriusXM fell 1.7%.Costco'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 4.2%.General Motors' (GM) partly owned battery plant in Ohio is delaying the return of hundreds of workers amid weak demand for electric cars, Reuters reported. GM shares were down 1%.International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) shares shed 1.8% after it said Friday that it agreed to sell a majority stake in its food ingredients unit to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners in a deal worth roughly $4.3 billion, as part of IFF's efforts to focus on higher-margin businesses.

$COST$GM$IFF$IHRT$SIRI
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Buy Opinion On Shares Of Costco Wholesale Corporation

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We trim our 12-month target by $5 to $1,130, about 48x our FY 27 (Aug.) EPS estimate of $23.55 (up from $22.68; FY 26 raised to $20.70 from $20.57). While this 48x multiple remains well above COST's long-term average of 37x, the premium relative to the broader market is somewhat less extreme. At approximately 2.2x the market multiple, COST trades below the peak relative valuation of 2.7x reached in early 2025. COST's quarter ultimately fell short of elevated expectations, which we attribute to: 1) decelerating paid member growth, which slowed to 4.1% from the 6%-7% range a year ago; and 2) greater-than-expected reinvestment, which impacted margins. Looking ahead, we believe increased international club openings should help reaccelerate paid member growth, while the company's burgeoning retail media business could provide a meaningful long-term margin tailwind. We see a special cash dividend looming with the company's cash balance at $20B (+35% Y/Y).

$COST
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Decline Friday Afternoon

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 sector news, the Trump administration is expected to propose a tweak to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement that would require half of all automobile components and materials to come from sources in the US, The Wall Street Journal reported. The pact currently requires 75% of a vehicle's materials to come from North American sources but has no US-specific quota, the report said.In corporate news, Costco'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%.General Motors' (GM) partly owned battery plant in Ohio is delaying the return of hundreds of workers amid weak demand for electric cars, Reuters reported. GM shares were down 1.3%.International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) shares added 0.6% after it said Friday that it agreed to sell a majority stake in its food ingredients unit to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners in a deal worth roughly $4.3 billion, as part of IFF's efforts to focus on higher-margin businesses.Activist hedge fund Toms Capital Investment Management has built a significant stake in McCormick (MKC) as the US food company works on its planned acquisition of Unilever's (UL) food business, Reuters reported. McCormick shares rose 1.8%.

$COST$GM$IFF$MKC
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer

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%.

$COST
Asia Markets

US Equity Indexes Scale New Peaks Amid Tech Gains as Trump Close to Making Decision on Iran Peace Deal

US equity indexes rose amid a surge in technology names and as President Donald Trump appeared close to announcing his decision on a preliminary Iran peace agreement.The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.4% to 27,031.2, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% to 7,593.9, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.8% to 51,077.9 after midday on Friday.Materials and financials were the only other sectors in positive territory intraday. Consumer staples, communication services, and energy led the decliners.Dell Technologies (DELL) shares catapulted 28%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company reported overnight fiscal Q1 financial results that topped analyst estimates and issued higher-than-expected guidance for fiscal Q2 and the full year.President Donald Trump is making a "final determination" on a preliminary deal to extend a ceasefire with Iran after mixed messages from both sides over when an agreement might be struck, he said on Friday, according to a report from Bloomberg."I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination," Trump said in a social media post.Iranian officials have used the talks to project confidence that they retain significant military options should diplomacy fail, CNN reported Friday. Any renewed conflict would spread "far beyond the region," threatening "crushing blows" and "utter ruin" in places opponents "cannot even imagine," the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were cited as saying.Brent crude futures fell 1.7% to $92.05, and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures declined 1.1% to $87.80.In precious metals, gold futures jumped 1.3% to $4,592.8, while silver futures slipped by less than 0.1% to $75.85.Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 2.1 basis points to 4.43%. The two-year declined 3.5 basis points to 3.99%.In economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's Chicago PMI reading jumped to 62.7 in May from 49.2 in April, larger than the expected 50.3 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and the highest reading in over four years.Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said Friday that she is seeking greater clarity on the Middle East conflict before determining the monetary policy path forward."Economic research suggests that, in response to temporary adverse energy supply shocks, policy should not be overly aggressive at stabilizing total inflation to keep employment close to our maximum-employment goal," Bowman said at the Reykjavik Economic Conference.Further in company news, Costco Wholesale (COST) posted higher fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue late Thursday. The company's net new warehouse openings in fiscal 2026 are, however, set to be below its previous guidance, according to an earnings conference call following the results. Its shares dropped 4.7%, among the worst performers on the Nasdaq.The Dow's leader was IBM (IBM), with shares soaring 9.5%, after the company said in a filing that it plans to invest more than $10 billion over the next five years to support quantum computing development.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$COST$DELL$IBM
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Decline Premarket Friday

Consumer stocks were declining premarket Friday, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) and State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) 0.3% lower.Buckle (BKE) stock was up 0.9% after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 earnings and net sales.Costco Wholesale's (COST) net new warehouse openings in fiscal 2026 are set to be below its previous guidance, according to the firm's earnings conference call late Thursday. Shares of Costco Wholesale were 0.9% lower pre-bell.Etsy (ETSY) signed a letter agreement with eBay (EBAY) tied to the planned $1.2 billion sale of Depop, allowing continued investment in the business before the deal closes, Etsy said in a filing. Shares of Etsy were 0.8% higher premarket.

$BKE$COST$EBAY$ETSY$XLP$XLY
Asia Markets

Tentative US-Iran Ceasefire Extension Agreement Nudges US Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell

US equity futures edged higher pre-bell Friday as traders monitored developments on the peace negotiations between US and Iran, with the two countries reportedly agreeing on a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire by 60 days.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.3% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures were flat.The memorandum still has to be approved by President Donald Trump, and Iran has not yet given a response to the latest version. Vice President JD Vance said the talks are making progress but still ongoing, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the negotiation teams have been "going back and forth."Iran reportedly fired missiles at unidentified targets on Thursday while the Pentagon said Iran had launched a ballistic missile towards Kuwait and deployed attack drones in the Strait of Hormuz.Traders also digested the latest round of earnings, with Costco Wholesale (COST) posting higher fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue late Thursday.Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 1.7% at $91.14 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 1.5% lower at $87.58 per barrel.The US advance international trade in goods deficit narrowed to $82.40 billion in April from $85.27 billion in March, according to data released by the US Census Bureau.The Chicago purchasing managers index for May, due at 9:45 am ET, is seen coming in at 50.3, up from its prior value of 49.2.Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson, and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly are slated to speak on Friday.In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 2.5% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.7% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.7% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.2%, and Germany's DAX index was flat in Europe's early afternoon session.In equities, Dell Technologies (DELL) shares were up 33% after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 non-GAAP net income and revenue that surpassed analysts' consensus. IBM (IBM) stock was 4.4% higher after the company said in a filing that it plans to invest more than $10 billion over the next five years to support quantum computing development. CoreWeave (CRWV) shares rose 1.4% after the company said it launched new agentic artificial intelligence capabilities designed to connect AI model training and inference in a continuous feedback loop to improve performance over time.On the losing side, Autodesk (ADSK) shares were down 6.6% after multiple analyst price target cuts, including those by RBC and BMO Capital. JD.com (JD) stock was 1.1% lower after the European Commission said it launched an in-depth investigation over the company's proposed acquisition of Ceconomy due to concerns that foreign subsidies may have distorted the deal process.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ADSK$COST$CRWV$DELL$IBM$JD
Japan

Tentative US-Iran Ceasefire Extension Agreement Nudges US Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell

US equity futures edged higher pre-bell Friday as traders monitored developments on the peace negotiations between US and Iran as the two countries reportedly agreed on a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire by 60 days.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.3% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures were flat.The memorandum still has to be approved by President Donald Trump, and Iran has not yet given a response to the latest version. Vice President JD Vance said the talks are making progress but still ongoing, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the negotiation teams have been "going back and forth."Iran reportedly fired missiles at unidentified targets on Thursday while the Pentagon said Iran had launched a ballistic missile towards Kuwait and deployed attack drones in the Strait of Hormuz.Traders also digested the latest round of earnings, with Costco Wholesale (COST) posting higher fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue late Thursday.Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 1.6% at $91.19 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 1.5% lower at $87.58 per barrel.The international trade in goods report for April, scheduled for release at 8:30 am ET, is expected to show the deficit narrowing to $87 billion from the revised value of $87.40 billion in the prior month, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.The Chicago purchasing managers index for May, due at 9:45 am ET, is seen coming in at 50.3, up from its prior value of 49.2.Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson, and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly are slated to speak on Friday.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$COST
Costco Wholesale Quarterly Revenue Tops Views Amid Gas Business Strength
US Markets

Costco Wholesale Quarterly Revenue Tops Views Amid Gas Business Strength

Costco Wholesale's (COST) fiscal third-quarter revenue topped market estimates buoyed by its gas business amid high fuel prices, though the warehouse chain's earnings fell short of expectations.Consolidated revenue came in at $70.53 billion for the quarter ended May 10, up from $63.21 billion a year earlier, the company said late Thursday. The consensus on FactSet was for $69.68 billion. Net income increased to $4.93 a share from $4.28 a year earlier, but missed Wall Street's view of $4.98.Elevated energy prices and consumer price sensitivity, driven by the conflict in the Middle East, drove "many members to use our gas stations for the very first time in the third quarter," Costco Chief Executive Roland Vachris said on an earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. This resulted in "record-breaking volumes" for the company's gas business."Our gas team performed exceptionally well to manage this unprecedented demand," Vachris said. "We believe this will drive even greater loyalty with these members in the future as members who use our gas stations typically spend more with us in the warehouse."The high fuel prices helped provide an "incremental" traffic boost at Costco, Truist Securities said in a note to clients Thursday. "The one minor fundamental knock is that membership growth continues to moderate."The company's shares were down 0.4% in premarket activity Friday. The stock has jumped 15% so far this year.The warehouse chain is "closely monitoring the longer-term inflationary impacts of higher oil prices, as well as the future impacts of tariffs," Vachris told analysts. The company has begun submitting its refund claims for tariffs that were invoked by US President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act last year, but declared invalid by the US Supreme Court in February."These submissions will go in over what may be the next few months, and based on what other claimants have experienced, we should start receiving refunds on approved claims on a rolling basis over the following two to three months," Vachris said on the call.Comparable sales, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign currency, rose 6.6% at the company level in the third quarter. The metric increased 6.8% in the US, 6.2% in Canada and 5.9% internationally.Costco's traffic, or shopping frequency, increased 2.4% globally, while the average transaction or ticket was up 7.3%, including impacts from gas price deflation and foreign exchange, Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said on the call. Membership fee income increased 11% year over year to $1.37 billion. The company has "relatively low" inventory exposure to shipping issues caused by the Middle East conflict, according to Millerchip."We believe the company will continue to deliver solid traffic growth for the foreseeable future, as its extreme value proposition continues to draw in consumers who are increasingly seeking value/newness, especially in the current macro environment," Truist said. The brokerage raised its price target on the Costco stock to $1,011 from $977.

$COST
Research

Research Alert: Cost: Solid Beat; Cash Balance Hits All-time High

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:COST delivered solid Q3 FY 26 (Aug.) results, with EPS of $4.93 (+15% Y/Y) beating consensus by a penny and net sales of $69.15B (+11.6% Y/Y). Comparable sales growth of 6.6% (ex-gas/FX) was due to balanced traffic (+2.4%) and ticket (+4.2%) gains across all segments. Digital sales continued to impress, with 20.8% growth, marking the third consecutive quarter of 20%+ expansion, while membership metrics remained healthy, with total paid members reaching 82.9M (+4.1% Y/Y) and renewal rates holding steady. Gross margin compressed 21 bps to 11.04% primarily due to gas impact, though underlying margins improved 1 bp excluding gas. With cash balances reaching a record $20.0B (+35% Y/Y), we believe COST may be positioned for another special dividend similar to the $15/share payment made two years ago (when the cash balance hit $18B). Executive member penetration continues driving 75% of total sales, supporting the membership model's value proposition.

$COST
Equity Markets Rise Intraday Amid US-Iran Deal Report
US Markets

Equity Markets Rise Intraday Amid US-Iran Deal Report

US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday as traders parsed a report that Washington and Iran have reached a tentative peace agreement.The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.7% at 26,862 after midday Thursday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 7,560.5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.1% to 50,693.5. The indexes closed at new all-time highs in the previous session.Among sectors, healthcare and technology paced the gainers intraday Thursday, while financials saw the biggest decrease.The US and Iran have agreed to a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and begin talks on Tehran's nuclear program, Axios reported, citing sources. However, US President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on the deal, according to the report.Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait overnight, which was intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, US Central Command said on X.West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.1% at $88.75 a barrel intraday, while Brent fell 0.7% to $93.60.In economic news, annual inflation hit the highest reading in almost three years in April even as consumer spending moderated in the face of high gasoline prices in the US, official data showed."If elevated inflation continues, we can expect slower trend real consumer spending ahead," BMO said in a note.Although artificial intelligence has the potential to be a "transformative technology," the risks of a miscalculation regarding its impact on inflation and productivity are "too great," St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem said."If the evidence becomes clear that higher productivity growth is likely to ease inflation pressures, I'm prepared to adjust my policy views," Musalem said. "However, at present, I believe we should keep our guard up against persistent above-target inflation today, rather than base monetary policy on the hope that we will have higher productivity growth tomorrow."US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down 3.2 basis points at 4.45% and the two-year rate falling 1.9 basis points to 4.01%.In company news, Dollar Tree (DLTR) shares jumped nearly 18%, the second-top gainer on the S&P 500, as the discount retailer raised its full-year earnings outlook after posting fiscal first-quarter results above Wall Street's estimates.Snowflake (SNOW) shares surged 37%. Late Wednesday, the cloud-based data platform raised its full-year product revenue outlook on the back of better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results. The company agreed to a $6 billion infrastructure spending deal with Amazon's (AMZN) cloud platform.Burlington Stores (BURL) increased its full-year outlook Thursday, while the off-price retailer's guidance for the ongoing quarter indicated a sequential slowdown in comparable sales growth. The company's shares were down 8.3% intraday.Dell Technologies (DELL), Costco Wholesale (COST), and MongoDB (MDB) are scheduled to report financials after the closing bell Thursday, along with others.Gold was up 1.3% at $4,538.60 per troy ounce, while silver advanced 1.6% $76.08 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$BURL$COST$DELL$DLTR$MDB$SNOW

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