Home Delivery

FACE-OFF

April 27, 2008

Article tools

E-mail

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Fark
- Google
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Yahoo

Conventional wisdom says wholesale clubs are an inflation hedge in a stock portfolio because when prices rise, shoppers bulk up to ride out the economic storm. Costco dwarfs BJ's in sales, but either could have bulked up a portfolio as both have beaten the S&P 500.

BJ's Wholesale Club Costco Wholesale

HEADQUARTERS Natick, Mass. Issaquah, Wash.

FOUNDED 1984 1976

U.S. STORES 180 380

LI & NYC STORES 11 9

MEMBERSHIP FEE $45-$80 a year $50-$100 a year

MEMBERS 8.7 million 51.8 million

12-month revenue $9.0 billion $67.9 billion

12-month income $121.4 million $1.2 billion

Stock market value $2.3 billion $31.0 billion

YTD stock change +15.8% +2.8%

$1,000 invested five

years ago now worth $2,770 $2,250

(vs. S&P 500) (+78.0%) (+44.7%)

SOURCES: COMPANY FILINGS, S&P EQUITY RESEARCH