The company is capturing increasing market share from cost-conscious shoppers.There are a few reasons why folks are discussing Costco (COST 0.59%) stock, which I detail in this video.*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Dec. 16, 2025. The video was published on Dec. 18, 2025. ...

Key Points Costco’s stock underperformed the market in 2025. Its high valuations and low yield are limiting its upside potential. Its near-term gains could be limited, but it’s still a solid long-term investment. 10 stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale › Costco (NASDAQ: COST), the world's largest warehouse club retailer, is often considered a stable blue chip stock. Yet over the past 12 months, its stock declined by more than 10% as the S&P 500 rose 16%. It has also pulled back nearly 20% a ...

Sales and profit growth alone may not be enough to move a stock like Costco, which is already priced to perfection.Costco Wholesale (COST +0.26%) has been a top retail stock to invest in for multiple years. Although its warehouses require memberships, that hasn't deterred customers, even amid rising inflation. Renewal rates are often around 90%, signifying strong continued demand.Recently, the company posted strong earnings numbers, which yet again beat expectations, as sales and profits continued to be str ...

Costco is one of those stores where it's hard to imagine what it feels like to shop there unless you've done it yourself. Even though I've been a Costco member for roughly 20 years, there are times when I still marvel at the store's massive size, impressive inventory, and ever-changing layout. In fact, during the Covid pandemic, when there were strict rules about how many customers Costco would allow in the store at a time, I took to ordering from Costco online because I couldn't deal with waiting in long ...

Financial Performance - Net sales increased by 8% to $65,978 million, driven by a 6% increase in comparable sales and sales from 25 net new warehouses opened since the end of Q1 2025[75]. - Membership fee revenue rose by 14% to $1,329 million, primarily due to membership fee increases and new member sign-ups, with total paid members reaching 81,400,000[79][80]. - Gross margin increased to $7,468 million, with a gross margin percentage of 11.32%, up from 11.28% in the previous year[82]. - Comparable sales growth was 6% for the total company, with increases of 6% in the U.S., 7% in Canada, and 9% in Other International markets[76]. - Digitally-enabled comparable sales surged by 21%, reflecting strong performance in e-commerce initiatives[77]. - The volume of gasoline sold increased by approximately 4%, contributing positively to net sales by $234 million[77]. Membership and Renewal - The renewal rate for memberships was 92.2% in the U.S. and Canada, and 89.7% worldwide, impacted by a higher number of memberships sold online[80]. Operational Costs - SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales increased by one basis point, indicating a slight rise in operational costs relative to sales[75]. - SG&A expenses totaled $6,334 million, with SG&A as a percentage of net sales at 9.60%[86]. Gross Margin Analysis - Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased by four basis points, with a similar increase when excluding gasoline price deflation[83]. - Gross margin in core merchandise categories increased by 30 basis points across all categories[84]. Tax and Interest - The effective tax rate for the quarter was 22.5%, slightly up from 22.0% in the prior year[75]. - The effective tax rate for the first quarter was 22.5%, influenced by discrete tax benefits related to stock compensation[91]. - Interest income increased to $122 million, up from $96 million, due to higher cash balances[90]. Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures - Net cash provided by operating activities was $4,688 million, compared to $3,260 million in the prior year[92]. - Capital expenditures in the first quarter totaled $1,526 million, with a planned total of approximately $6,500 million for fiscal 2026[98]. Shareholder Returns - A quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share was declared and paid on November 14, 2025[100]. - The share repurchase program authorized $4,000 million, with $210 million spent on repurchases in the first quarter[101]. Warehouse Expansion - The company opened eight new warehouses, including one relocation, resulting in a net increase of seven warehouses[75]. - The company opened eight new warehouses in the first quarter and plans to open 25 additional warehouses in fiscal 2026[98].

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of the stocks that Jim Cramer shared his take on. A club member asked if Cramer has any reservations about the management change at the company, given that the stock has been a “laggard all year”. Here’s what he had to say in response: “Look, I have concerns about everything… I was watching Costco today versus Walmart. It was really killing me. I know that Richard Galanti has departed as CFO. New CFO, I think does a good job. I know that the monthly signup ...

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Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bullish approach towards Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in COST usually suggests something big is about to happen.We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 47 extraordinary options activities for ...

Key Takeaways Retailers like ROST, DG, COST and BURL benefit from cautious spending and steady discount store traffic.Lean operations, private labels, and AI adoption are boosting margins and responsiveness in discount retail.Easing monetary policy and improved sentiment may further lift demand for value-focused retail in 2026.The U.S. economy is currently in a transition phase, characterized by easing financial conditions and steadily improving consumer sentiment. The recent rate cut by the Federal Reserve ...

Market Analysis by covering: Costco Wholesale Corp. Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com ...