Investors are watching closely for signals from USretailer Costco on whether Brambles may give the green light to a $1 billion-plus investment in a plastic pallet pool, which would over the long term help cut the vast number of pallets that go missing each year.

Costco, which operates 573 warehouse-sized stores in the United States, announced its third-quarter profit results last week in the US, with its sales and profits ahead of market forecasts, even though rising freight and labour costs ate into profit margins.