Stocks to Watch: Costco, Yum! Brands

NEW YORK -- Costco Wholesale (COST), the warehouse retailer, posted fiscal second-quarter earnings of $547 million, or $1.24 share, up from year-earlier earnings of $394 million, or 90 cents a share.

The latest quarter includes a tax benefit of 14 cents a share.

Net sales in the second quarter rose 8.2% to $24.34 billion. Including membership fees, net revenue was $24.87 billion.

Same-store sales in the quarter jumped 5%.

Analysts were expecting earnings of $1.06 a share on revenue of $25.13 billion.

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VeriFone Systems (PAY) said Monday that CEO Douglas Bergeron was stepping down after 12 years with the maker of terminals for electronic payments.

VeriFone warned last month that first-quarter earnings and revenue would be below expectations. He said many of the troubles were "self-inflicted," and could lead to possible executive changes.

"Now is the right time for new leadership to take the baton and continue to drive the company forward," Bergeron said in a statement Monday.

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Yum! Brands (YUM) reported Monday a decline of 20% in its same-store sales in China for January and February, but that was better than the company's forecast of a 25% drop.

The company's sales in China have been hurt in recent months by a food scare over its chicken suppliers.

Yum! owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants.

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KKR (KKR) is considering teaming with other private-equity firms to pursue a buyout of Life Technologies (LIFE), The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

At least two other strategic buyers, Danaher (DHR) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) are weighing bids for biotech firm Life Technologies, according to other people, the newspaper said.

Life Technologies is valued at $12.5 billion.

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Urban Outfitters (URBN) posted fourth-quarter net income of $82.5 million, or 56 cents a share, compared with year-earlier earnings of $39.3 million, or 27 cents a share.

Revenue in the quarter rose to $856.8 million from $730.6 million.

Analysts were expecting earnings of 57 cents a share on revenue of $850.5 million.

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Dole Food (DOLE) is expected by analysts Tuesday to post a fourth-quarter loss of 2 cents a share.

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Bon-Ton Stores (BONT) is forecast by Wall Street to report fourth-quarter earnings of $3.57 a share on revenue of $1.04 billion.

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-- Written by Joseph Woelfel



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