Costco’s big earnings beat points to further upside

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) has been one of the biggest retail winners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its growth accelerated last quarter, as comparable sales skyrocketed 17.1%, excluding the impacts of currency fluctuations and gasoline price deflation.

For a second consecutive quarter, this double-digit sales growth drove a huge jump in Costco’s earnings. The company’s accelerating earnings growth suggests that Costco stock still has plenty of upside for long-term investors, despite carrying a lofty valuation after a 27% rally year to date.

Costco Wholesale year-to-date stock performance, data by YCharts.

Margin…