Costco Wholesale (COST) 8-K Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Exhibit 99.1

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND

FISCAL YEAR 2015 OPERATING RESULTS

ISSAQUAH, Wash., September 29, 2015 – Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced its operating results for the 16-week fourth quarter and the 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2015.

Net sales for the fourth quarter were $34.99 billion, an increase of one percent from $34.75 billion in fiscal 2014. Net sales for the fiscal year were $113.67 billion, an increase of three percent from $110.21 billion last year.

Comparable sales were as follows:

	16 Weeks			52 Weeks
U.S.		2	%		3	%
Canada		-10	%		-5	%
Other International		-7	%		-3	%
Total Company		-1	%		1	%

Comparable sales for these periods excluding the negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange were as follows:

	16 Weeks			52 Weeks
U.S.		6	%		6	%
Canada		7	%		8	%
Other International		6	%		6	%
Total Company		6	%		7	%

Net income for the fourth quarter was $767 million, or $1.73 per diluted share, compared to $697 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, last year.

Net income for this fiscal year was $2.38 billion, or $5.37 per diluted share, compared to $2.06 billion, or $4.65 per diluted share, last year. Net income this year was positively impacted by a $57 million ($.13 per diluted share) tax benefit in connection with a second-quarter special cash dividend received by the Company 401(k) plan participants.

Costco currently operates 686 warehouses, including 480 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 89 in Canada, 36 in Mexico, 27 in the United Kingdom, 23 in Japan, 12 in Korea, 11 in Taiwan, seven in Australia and one in Spain. The Company plans to open up to an additional 12 new warehouses (including one relocation) before the end of calendar year 2015. Costco also operates e-commerce web sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

A conference call to discuss these fiscal 2015 fourth quarter and year-end operating results is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (PT) tomorrow, September 30, 2015, and is available via a webcast on www.costco.com (click on Investor Relations and “Play Webcast”).

Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (including health care costs), energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

CONTACTS: Costco Wholesale Corporation

Richard Galanti, 425/313-8203, Bob Nelson, 425/313-8255, Jeff Elliott, 425/313-8264

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

(unaudited)

	16 Weeks Ended August 30, 2015			16 Weeks Ended August 31, 2014			52 Weeks Ended August 30, 2015			52 Weeks Ended August 31, 2014
REVENUE
Net sales	$	34,993		$	34,755		$	113,666		$	110,212
Membership fees		785			768			2,533			2,428
Total revenue		35,778			35,523			116,199			112,640
OPERATING EXPENSES
Merchandise costs		31,096			31,037			101,065			98,458
Selling, general and administrative		3,499			3,380			11,445			10,899
Preopening expenses		27			15			65			63
Operating income		1,156			1,091			3,624			3,220
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		(40	)		(35	)		(124	)		(113	)
Interest income and other, net		40			30			104			90
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES		1,156			1,086			3,604			3,197
Provision for income taxes		378			381			1,195			1,109
Net income including noncontrolling interests		778			705			2,409			2,088
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(11	)		(8	)		(32	)		(30	)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO	$	767		$	697		$	2,377		$	2,058
NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO:
Basic	$	1.75		$	1.59		$	5.41		$	4.69
Diluted	$	1.73		$	1.58		$	5.37		$	4.65
Shares used in calculation: (000’s)
Basic		438,835			437,875			439,455			438,693
Diluted		442,404			441,887			442,716			442,485
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.40		$	0.355		$	6.51		$	1.33

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(amounts in millions, except par value and share data)

(unaudited)

Subject to Reclassifications

	August 30, 2015			August 31, 2014
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	4,801		$	5,738
Short-term investments		1,618			1,577
Receivables, net		1,224			1,148
Merchandise inventories		8,908			8,456
Deferred income taxes and other current assets		748			669
Total current assets		17,299			17,588
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Land		4,961			4,716
Buildings and improvements		12,618			12,522
Equipment and fixtures		5,274			4,845
Construction in progress		811			592
		23,664			22,675
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(8,263	)		(7,845	)
Net property and equipment		15,401			14,830
OTHER ASSETS		740			606
TOTAL ASSETS	$	33,440		$	33,024
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	$	9,011		$	8,491
Accrued salaries and benefits		2,468			2,231
Accrued member rewards		813			773
Deferred membership fees		1,269			1,254
Current portion long-term debt		1,283			0
Other current liabilities		1,696			1,663
Total current liabilities		16,540			14,412
LONG-TERM DEBT, excluding current portion		4,864			5,093
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES AND OTHER LIABILITIES		1,193			1,004
Total liabilities		22,597			20,509
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
EQUITY
Preferred stock $ .005 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding		0			0
Common stock $ .005 par value; 900,000,000 shares authorized; 437,952,000 and 437,683,000 shares issued and outstanding		2			2
Additional paid-in capital		5,218			4,919
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(1,121	)		(76	)
Retained earnings		6,518			7,458
Total Costco stockholders’ equity		10,617			12,303
Noncontrolling interests		226			212
Total equity		10,843			12,515
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	$	33,440		$	33,024