U.S. equities were higher with tech stocks posting a 0.9% gain by day’s end, while energy stocks soared 0.5%. The S&P 500 Index surged 0.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite boomed 0.8%.
Several companies posted quarterly results, including Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST), Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ:HELE) and Yum China Holdings Inc (NYSE:YUMC).
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
Costco reported on its latest period yesterday.
The company’s net income came in at $919 million, or $2.08 per share over the course of its fourth quarter. A year ago, net income was of $779 million, or $1.77 per share.
Membership fees were 13% higher year-over-year to $943 million. The amount makes up about 72% of Costco’s operating income. The company’s comp sales rose 5.8% year-over-year.
When excluding the impact of fuel and currency fluctuations, total comp sales rose 5.7%, which is higher than the Consensus Metrix analysts’ estimate of a 5.1% surged.
COST stock slipped 3% after hours Thursday.
Helen of Troy Limited (HELE)
Helen of Troy shares fell slightly following the company’s second-quarter results.
In the earnings front, the company raked in 33 cents per share. On an adjusted basis, this figure came in at $1.65 per share, which is higher than analysts’ projections of $1.35 per share.
Revenue came in at $378.5 million for Helen of Troy, which topped Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $377.1 million.
For fiscal 2018, the company predicts that sales will be up 1.5% to 3.1%, arriving at a total of $1.56 billion to 41.585 billion. Earnings are slated to be $4.01 to $4.34 per share on a GAAP basis.
Helen of Troy also announced a project that will save annualized savings by $10 million. Non-GAAP adjusted diluted earnings are slated to be between $6.50 and $6.90 per share.
Fiscal-year earnings are expected to be $6.71 per share, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.
HELE stock fell 0.1% after hours Thursday.
Yum China Holdings Inc (YUMC)
Yum China posted its latest quarterly results yesterday as well.
The spinoff company of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) posted quarterly earnings of 53 cents per share, below Wall Street’s expectations of 55 cents per share.
Revenue topped the mark for Yum China at $2.038 billion. Analysts were calling for revenue of $2.038 billion. Same-store sales surged 6% as well, ahead of Wall Street’s estimate of 2.9%.
Comp sales at KFC, which has a larger presence in China than Pizza Hut or Taco Bell, rose 7%, ahead of the 5% outlook. Pizza Hut saw its same-store sales come in flat, topping the guidance of a 2.2% drop.
YUMC stock gained 2.6% after the bell Thursday.
As of this writing, Karl Utermohlen did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
