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On May 24th, Mehdi Tajé, president of the Iranian Football Federation, announced on the 23rd that, with FIFAs approval, the Iranian national football teams training base for the World Cup would be moved from the United States to Mexico. In a statement released to the media by the Iranian Football Federation, Tajé said that due to difficulties obtaining visas, the Iranian national team requested FIFA to change its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, and that preparations in Tijuana have been completed. Tijuana is located on the US-Mexico border, approximately 20 kilometers from San Diego, a city in Southern California.May 24th - According to AXIOS, a US official revealed the main contents of the agreement that the US and Iran are about to sign. However, it remains unclear whether the agreement can lead to a lasting peace deal while also meeting Trumps nuclear demands. The US official stated that the White House hopes to resolve the final differences in the next few hours and announce the agreement on Sunday. However, this is not yet finalized. The official provided a detailed summary of the current draft, most of which has been confirmed by other sources close to the negotiations. Iran has not yet confirmed these details, but has also stated that an agreement is close to being reached. ① Main contents: The two sides will sign a memorandum of understanding, valid for 60 days, which can be extended by mutual agreement. During the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz will be open without tolls, and Iran agrees to clear its mines deployed in the strait to allow free passage for ships. In exchange, the US will lift the blockade on Iranian ports and issue some sanctions waivers, allowing Iran to freely sell oil. Iran hopes for an immediate unfreezing of funds and a permanent lifting of sanctions, but the US has stated that this will only be achieved after concrete concessions are made. ② Nuclear issue still pending negotiation: The US official stated that the draft memorandum of understanding includes Irans commitment to never seek nuclear weapons and negotiations on suspending its uranium enrichment program and clearing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Two sources familiar with the matter said that Iran, through mediators, verbally promised the US the range of concessions it was willing to make regarding suspending uranium enrichment and abandoning nuclear materials. US troops mobilized in recent months will remain in the region for 60 days and will only withdraw if a final agreement is reached. ③ Lebanon ceasefire: The draft memorandum of understanding also clarifies that the war between Israel and Lebanon will end. The US official stated that this will not be a "unilateral ceasefire," and Israel will be allowed to take action to stop Hezbollah if it attempts to rearm or incite attacks.Polish military: Military air operations conducted in Polish airspace in connection with Russian strikes in Ukraine have ceased. No violations of Polish airspace have been recorded.The mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, said that Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of the morning, resulting in at least one death and 13 injuries.On May 24th, a White House official in charge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup said on the 22nd that, due to the Ebola outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) national team must undergo a 21-day quarantine outside the United States before entering the country to participate in the tournament. The DRC team responded that day, stating that they would not change their existing World Cup warm-up match plans.

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.