In the video below, Fool analysts Blake Bos and Isaac Pino discuss their takeaways from a recent earnings conference call from retail superstore operator Costco Wholesale (Nasdaq: COST).
Costco reported a great bottom line: a 20% year-over-year increase in earnings per share. It also showed a 7% increase in same-store sales, well better than its competitors.
It is planning for 30 new stores for 2013, a 5% overall increase. It also plans for 25% store growth in Asia, and it's not yet even entered China, Bos says.
Costco is known as a very customer-friendly store, Pino says. It's also been very shareholder friendly. The company has issued a one-time $3 billion special dividend and plans about $500 million in share buybacks in the coming year, Bos says. That's good news for investors, since the buybacks will happen at a time when Costco stock is not cheap.
