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April 10th - From April 8th to 10th, the US-China Business Council led its highest-level and largest business delegation to Guangzhou and Shenzhen for trade and economic cooperation activities. Representatives from dozens of US companies, including Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, General Electric, Carrier, Cargill, and Cisco, representing sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, information technology, finance, and consumer goods, fully demonstrating the US business communitys high regard for Guangdong and its strong desire to deepen cooperation. The US-China Business Council, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has long been committed to promoting US-China relations and bilateral trade and economic cooperation. US-China Business Council President Tan Sen said he hopes to use this years APEC Leaders Informal Meeting as an opportunity to introduce the preferential policies and business environment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to more US companies, further deepening trade and economic cooperation. 1. Federal Reserves Daly: If the Iran conflict is resolved quickly and oil prices fall, a rate cut is "not impossible." He believes the possibility of a rate hike is lower than a rate cut or maintaining the current rate. The real question is whether the ceasefire can last; if it does, then the CPI data is irrelevant. 2. Data from the U.S. Labor Department on Friday showed that the March CPI rose 3.3% year-on-year, significantly higher than Februarys 2.4%. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, rose 2.6%, slightly below the market expectation of 2.7%. Energy prices rose 12.5% year-on-year in March, a significant acceleration from Februarys 0.5%. Gasoline prices rose 18.9%, and fuel oil rose 44.2%. The report reflects the impact of the Iran war on U.S. inflation for the first time. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping and pushed up crude oil and gasoline prices last month. 3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Seasonally adjusted energy inflation in the U.S. rose 10.9% month-on-month in March, the largest increase since September 2005; unadjusted energy inflation rose 12.5% year-on-year. Seasonally adjusted gasoline inflation rose 21.2% month-over-month in March, the largest increase since records began in 1967, while unadjusted gasoline inflation rose 18.9% year-over-year. Seasonally adjusted fuel oil inflation rose 30.7% month-over-month in March, the largest increase since February 2000; unadjusted fuel oil inflation rose 44.2% year-over-year. 4. Saudi Arabia’s oil exports through the Red Sea remain stable as the impact of the drone attack on its east-west pipeline has not yet materialized. Wednesday’s attack damaged one of 11 pumping stations along the pipeline. The Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday, citing energy ministry officials, that this reduced pipeline capacity by 700,000 barrels per day. 5. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released data showing that private exporters reported sales of 125,640 tons of corn to unknown destinations for delivery in the 2025/2026 marketing year. The U.S. corn marketing year begins on September 1. 6. U.S. Vice President Vance has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan, aboard Air Force Two to participate in U.S.-Iran talks. The entourage also included US Middle East envoy Witkov and Trumps son-in-law Kushner. Before boarding, Vance stated that he looked forward to the upcoming negotiations with Iran and believed the talks in Islamabad would be positive. 7. After data showed that gasoline prices rose due to the Iran war and US inflation accelerated in March, bond traders slightly reduced their bets on a single Federal Reserve rate cut this year. Fridays interest rate swap market pricing showed that the probability of a 25 basis point rate cut by the Fed this year was about one-third, little changed from before the data release. 8. A spokesperson for the Khatham Anbia Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces issued a statement on the 10th, saying that due to the repeated breaches of trust by the US and Israel in the past, the Iranian Armed Forces remain fully alert and ready to open fire at any time. 9. Data released by the LME showed that due to supply disruptions caused by the Iran war, Indian aluminum was temporarily unable to be delivered, and the proportion of Russian aluminum available in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses jumped from 60% in February to 92% in March.The Kuwaiti Army stated that the Iranian attack targeted National Guard facilities, resulting in multiple injuries.Palantir (PLTR.N) narrowed its losses to less than 2%, after falling 6% earlier.Market news: Asian countries are urging the United States to extend sanctions waivers on Russian oil.

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.