Despite a challenging environment, Costco Wholesale Corporation 's ( COST ) comparable-store sales results for October betters analysts' expectations. Excluding the effect of gasoline prices and foreign currency fluctuations, Costco's comparable-store sales for October rose 6%, reflecting comparable sales growth of 5% at its U.S. locations and 7% at international outlets. Coming to Costco, comparable-store sales for the 9-week period increased 3%, buoyed by 4% growth at the U.S. and 1% increase at international locations.