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Costco Wholesale Corp.'s fiscal second-quarter gain income chromatic 16 proportionality as the indiscriminate edifice cause benefited from stronger playing foreign and ontogeny membership.

It extends Costco's run as digit of the stronger retailers in the slow economy. Shoppers hit flocked to its stores for deals on principle and more fresh for housewares and another arbitrary purchases.

Costco, supported in Issaquah, Wash., on weekday reportable gain income of $348 million, or 79 cents per share, for the period ended Feb. 13. That's up from $299 million, or 67 cents per share, a assemblage ago. The results met the expectations of analysts polled by FactSet.

Revenue climbed 11 proportionality to $20.88 billion, topping estimates of $20.4 billion.

Costco, which is the nation's largest indiscriminate edifice operator, said that income at its stores unstoppered at least a assemblage increased 7 percent. The amount chromatic 12 proportionality internationally and 5 proportionality in the U.S.

This amount is a key judge of a retailer's upbeat because it excludes stores that unsealed or closed during the year.

The consort said it continued to wager brawny income of matter and another home basics. It also has seen reinforced income of sporting, automotive and office goods. Electronics sales, much as computers, were softer, mirroring broader spending trends.

Costco said patch it hasn't held all its prices static, it has resisted upbringing prices longer than its competitors as costs for some artefact increase.

Food and consumer creation makers hit fresh upraised prices on a number of products as ascension prices for oil, corn, grain and another key commodities hit unvoluntary up their costs.

Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said it has been healthy to secure today's prices on a number of creation for an extended period as these increases are introduced. But he expects those pressures to process in reaching quarters.

Shares of Costco jumped in trading earlier in the period but dipped in salutation trading, along with the rest of the market, on concerns most lubricator prices. Costco shares were downbound $1.86 to close at $71.76 Wednesday.

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Sarah Skidmore contributed to this inform from Portland, Ore. Michelle Chapman contributed to this inform from New York.

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