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New York silver futures touched $74 per ounce, down 5.28% on the day.The yield on 5-year Japanese government bonds fell 2 basis points to 1.65%.British Prime Minister Starmer: I have increased defense spending; Britain needs to "go faster" on defense spending.February 17th - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) believes that inflation will remain high if interest rates are not raised this month, and it remains uncertain whether further policy tightening is necessary. The minutes of Tuesdays meeting revealed that committee members expressed concern about a "substantial shift" in the risks to inflation and employment, providing a stronger case for a rate hike. The minutes stated: "Members unanimously agreed that data received since the last meeting further reinforced their concerns that inflation would persist too high for too long without policy intervention." Therefore, the committee unanimously decided to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%. Markets are betting that the stubbornness of inflation this quarter may be sufficient for the committee to raise rates again to 4.10% at its May meeting. First-quarter consumer price data will be released at the end of April, and analysts suspect that core inflation will remain around 3.4%, well above the RBAs target range of 2% to 3%. Regarding future interest rate trends, the committee noted that forecasts carry two-way risks, and future policy decisions will depend on data developments.Reserve Bank of Australia meeting minutes: Remains committed to reducing inflation and protecting jobs.

Costco Margins Are Impacted by Growing Freight And Labor Expenses, And The Stock Price Falls

Charlie Brooks

May 27, 2022 09:50

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Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ:COST) announced a decline in gross margins on Thursday, impacted by rising freight and labor expenses across the United States. The news sent shares of the membership-only retailer down 2% and overshadowed an otherwise positive quarterly report.


Fresh COVID-19 lockdowns in China and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have compounded the problem for U.S. businesses.


Costco announced that it would increase prices in certain food categories in order to battle inflation.


Retailers such as Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Inc and Target Corp (NYSE:TGT) have warned that decades-high inflation will have a negative impact on their earnings, as shoppers hesitate from purchasing non-essential and high-margin goods.


The average Costco buyer earns more than the average Walmart and Target shopper, allowing Costco to generate quarterly earnings and revenue that easily exceeds expectations.


Memberships and sales have been boosted by the company's efforts to keep gas prices several cents below the national average.


Costco, in contrast to Walmart, reported that there has not been a significant shift from branded products to its private label product, Kirkland Signature.


"We aren't really observing a decline in commerce. This year, more money is being spent on tickets, dining out, travel, tires, and gasoline "In a post-earnings conference call, Robert Nelson, senior vice president of finance and investor relations, said.


Costco's gross margins decreased by 99 basis points in the third quarter.


According to data from Refinitiv IBES, Costco's total sales for the quarter ending May 8 increased by 16 percent to $52.60 billion, surpassing analysts' projections of $51.71 billion.


Excluding adjustments, Costco's earnings per share were $3.17, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.03.