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    Costco Wholesale Corp (COST)

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    Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites, offering a limited selection of nationally-branded and private-label products at low prices to drive high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover. The company categorizes its offerings into core merchandise categories, which include foods and sundries, non-foods, and fresh foods. Additionally, Costco provides expanded products and services through warehouse ancillary operations, such as gasoline, pharmacy, optical, food court, hearing aids, and tire installation, as well as other businesses like e-commerce, business centers, and travel services .

    1. Foods and Sundries - Offers a wide range of grocery items, including packaged foods, beverages, and household essentials.
    2. Non-Foods - Provides a variety of products such as electronics, apparel, and home goods.
    3. Warehouse Ancillary and Other Businesses - Includes services like gasoline, pharmacy, optical, food court, hearing aids, tire installation, e-commerce, business centers, and travel services.
    4. Fresh Foods - Sells perishable items including meat, produce, and bakery products.
    NamePositionExternal RolesShort Bio

    Ron M. Vachris

    ExecutiveBoard

    President and CEO

    None

    Ron M. Vachris has been with Costco for over 28 years, holding various management and executive roles. He became CEO on January 1, 2024, and has been a director since February 2022.

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    Caton Frates

    Executive

    EVP, COO, Southwest Division

    None

    Caton Frates has been with Costco for over 25 years and became EVP, COO, Southwest Division, in 2022. He previously served as SVP, Los Angeles Region.

    Claudine E. Adamo

    Executive

    EVP, Merchandising

    None

    Claudine E. Adamo has been an executive officer since 2022. She previously served as SVP, Non-Foods, and VP, Non-Foods.

    Gary Millerchip

    Executive

    EVP, Chief Financial Officer

    None

    Gary Millerchip joined Costco in February 2024 as EVP and became CFO on March 15, 2024. Previously, he was CFO at Kroger and CEO of Kroger Personal Finance.

    Javier Polit

    Executive

    EVP, Chief Information and Digital Officer

    None

    Javier Polit joined Costco in 2023. He previously held CIO roles at Mondelez, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola.

    Jim C. Klauer

    Executive

    EVP, COO, Northern Division

    None

    Jim C. Klauer has been EVP, COO, Northern Division, since 2018. He previously served as SVP, Non-Foods and E-commerce Merchandise.

    John Sullivan

    Executive

    EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

    None

    John Sullivan has been General Counsel since 2016 and Corporate Secretary since 2010. He has been with Costco for over 22 years.

    Patrick J. Callans

    Executive

    EVP, Administration

    None

    Patrick J. Callans has been EVP, Administration, since 2019. He previously served as SVP, Human Resources and Risk Management.

    Pierre Riel

    Executive

    EVP, COO, International Division

    None

    Pierre Riel became EVP, COO, International Division, in 2022. He previously served as SVP, Country Manager, Canada, and SVP, Eastern Canada Region.

    Russ D. Miller

    Executive

    SEVP, U.S. Operations

    None

    Russ D. Miller has been with Costco for over 25 years and became SEVP, U.S. Operations, in May 2022. He previously served as EVP, COO, Southwest Division and Mexico.

    Teresa Jones

    Executive

    EVP, Global Depots and Traffic

    None

    Teresa Jones was promoted to EVP, Global Depots and Traffic, in 2024. She previously served as SVP and VP of Depot Operations.

    Yoram B. Rubanenko

    Executive

    EVP, COO, Eastern Division

    None

    Yoram B. Rubanenko has been EVP, COO, Eastern Division, since 2021. He previously served as SVP and General Manager, Southeast Region.

    Hamilton E. James

    Board

    Chairman of the Board

    Chairman of Jefferson River Capital

    Hamilton E. James has been a director since 1988 and became Chairman of the Board in 2017. He is also Chairman of Jefferson River Capital and previously served as Executive Vice Chairman of Blackstone.

    Helena B. Foulkes

    Board

    Director

    Board Member at Skillsoft, Follett Higher Education, PM Pediatrics Care, Harry's Inc.

    Helena B. Foulkes joined the board in 2023. She is a former CEO of Hudson's Bay Company and held senior roles at CVS Health.

    Jeffrey S. Raikes

    Board

    Director

    Co-founder of Raikes Foundation

    Jeffrey S. Raikes has been a director since 2008. He is the co-founder of the Raikes Foundation and a former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    John W. Stanton

    Board

    Director

    Chairman of Trilogy International Partners, Trilogy Equity Partners, and First Avenue Entertainment

    John W. Stanton has been a director since 2015. He is also the Chairman of Trilogy International Partners, Trilogy Equity Partners, and First Avenue Entertainment (owner of the Seattle Mariners).

    Kenneth D. Denman

    Board

    Director

    General Partner at Sway Ventures; Board Member at VMware and Motorola Solutions

    Kenneth D. Denman has been a director since 2017. He is a General Partner at Sway Ventures and serves on the boards of VMware and Motorola Solutions.

    Maggie Wilderotter

    Board

    Director

    Chairman of DocuSign; Board Member at Sana Biotechnology, Fortinet, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Tanium

    Maggie Wilderotter has been a director since 2015. She is the Chairman of DocuSign and serves on multiple boards, including Sana Biotechnology and Fortinet.

    Sally Jewell

    Board

    Director

    Global Board Member at The Nature Conservancy; Chair of the Board at Symetra Financial

    Sally Jewell has been a director since 2020. She is a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and CEO of REI.

    Susan L. Decker

    Board

    Director

    CEO of Raftr, Inc.; Board Member at Berkshire Hathaway, Vail Resorts, Vox Media, Automattic, Chime Financial

    Susan L. Decker has been a director since 2004. She is the CEO of Raftr, Inc., and serves on multiple boards, including Berkshire Hathaway and Vail Resorts.

    Richard A. Galanti

    Retired (Former CFO)

    None

    Richard A. Galanti retired as CFO on March 15, 2024, and fully retired from Costco on January 30, 2025, after serving as CFO for over 30 years.

    1. With only 26 net new warehouses planned for fiscal 2025 and a shift towards international expansion, can you elaborate on the reasons behind the slowdown in U.S. warehouse growth and how this might impact your market share in the domestic market?
    2. Given that e-commerce continues to be marginally less profitable than traditional in-warehouse shopping, how do you plan to address the profitability gap as digital sales grow, and what specific measures are you taking to improve e-commerce margins?
    3. While you have expressed a desire to drive greater SG&A leverage, how do you reconcile this with the ongoing investments in employee wages, and what steps are you taking to ensure that margin pressures do not adversely affect profitability?
    4. Considering the potential disruptions from port strikes and fluctuations in ocean freight rates, what contingency plans are in place to mitigate supply chain risks, and how might these challenges influence your inventory levels and margin outlook?
    5. In light of increasing promotional activity and investments in pricing by competitors in the grocery sector, how do you plan to maintain your pricing advantage without compromising margins, and are there specific areas where you see heightened competitive pressures?
    Program DetailsProgram 1
    Approval DateJanuary 19, 2023
    End Date/DurationJanuary 2027
    Total additional amount$4,000 million
    Remaining authorization amount$2,659 million as of November 24, 2024
    DetailsThe program aims to return capital to shareholders, improve financial ratios, and potentially increase the stock price by reducing the number of shares outstanding.
    YearAmount Due (in millions)Debt TypeInterest Rate (%)% of Total Debt
    2027$1,0003.000% Senior Notes (May 2027)3.00017.1% = (1,000 / 5,863) * 100
    2027$1,2501.375% Senior Notes (June 2027)1.37521.3% = (1,250 / 5,863) * 100
    2030$1,7501.600% Senior Notes (April 2030)1.60029.8% = (1,750 / 5,863) * 100
    2032$1,0001.750% Senior Notes (April 2032)1.75017.1% = (1,000 / 5,863) * 100
    N/A$863Other Long-Term DebtN/A14.7% = (863 / 5,863) * 100

    Competitors mentioned in the company's latest 10K filing.

    CompanyDescription

    Among the significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S..

    Among the significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S..

    Among the significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S..

    Among the significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S..

    Sam's Club

    A competing warehouse club operated by Walmart in the U.S..

    A competing warehouse club in the U.S..

    NameStart DateEnd DateReason for Change
    KPMG LLP2002 PresentCurrent auditor

    No recent press releases or 8-K filings found for COST.