Costco Wholesale Corp. - Wednesday warned that its fourth-quarter earnings per share are expected to be well below the current First Call consensus estimate of $1.00 as inflation, particularly from energy costs, cloud its outlook.
The company said it will take a higher-than-expected inventories charge, profits at its gasoline operations will fall on the year, while merchandise profits will be lower because it has had to hold selling prices to help drive sales.
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(Reuters) - Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O: Quote, Profile, Research), the No 1 US warehouse club operator, on Wednesday forecast a fourth-quarter profit

By Louisa Nesbitt July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest US warehouse-club chain, said earnings will be ``well below'' analysts'