Compared to Estimates, Costco (COST) Q3 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

For the quarter ended May 2026, Costco (COST) reported revenue of $70.53 billion, up 11.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.93, compared to $4.28 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.47% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $69.5 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $4.91, the EPS surprise was +0.41%.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:Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Total Company (Adjusted): 6.6% compared to the 6.6% average estimate based on six analysts.Comparable sales - Total Company: 9.8% versus 8.1% estimated by five analysts on average.Number of warehouses - Total worldwide: 931 versus 932 estimated by five analysts on average.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - U.S. (Adjusted): 6.8% compared to the 6.5% average estimate based on three analysts.Total paid members: 82,900 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 83,668.Number of warehouses - United States and Puerto Rico: 639 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 640.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Canada (Adjusted): 6.2% versus 6.6% estimated by three analysts on average.Changes in comparable sales excluding the impact of changes in foreign-currency and gasoline prices - Other International (Adjusted): 5.9% versus 6.2% estimated by three analysts on average.Comparable sales - Canada: 10.7% compared to the 8.4% average estimate based on two analysts.Total cardholders: 148,500 compared to the 151,084 average estimate based on two analysts.Membership fees: $1.37 billion versus the six-analyst average estimate of $1.36 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +10.7%.Net Sales: $69.15 billion compared to the $68.68 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +11.6% year over year.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 +5% 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.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks