<div><p>(Reuters) - Costco Wholesale Corp <COST.O> reported a better-than-expected 8 percent increase in January same-store sales, helped by a weak dollar and higher gasoline prices.</p><p>Analysts, on average, were expecting a rise 7.8 percent in January same-store sales, including the impact of fuel prices and foreign exchange, according to Thomson Reuters data.</p><p>Same-store sales at U.S. locations rose 4 percent, while its international division sales surged 25 percent, the company said.</p><p>January net sales rose 10 percent to $5.62 billion.</p><p>Excluding the impact of gasoline prices and foreign exchange, the company said U.S. comparable sales were flat, while on a local currency basis, international same-store sales rose 9 percent.</p><p>(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=68427556&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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