Costco reported net sales of $23.70 billion for August 2026, up 9.9% from last year.
Quiver AI Summary
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported strong sales performance for August 2026, with net sales reaching $23.70 billion, a 9.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year. For the fourth quarter, net sales totaled $93.9 billion, up 11.3 percent, while the total sales for the fiscal year amounted to $297.3 billion, reflecting a 10.2 percent growth. Comparable sales varied by region, with U.S. sales up 9.0 percent for the month and 10.7 percent for the quarter. The shift in Labor Day observance negatively impacted comparable sales in August by nearly 75 basis points. The company operates 939 warehouses worldwide and emphasizes that certain forward-looking statements in the release are subject to various risks and uncertainties.
Potential Positives
- Costco reported a significant increase in net sales, achieving $23.70 billion for August 2026, marking a 9.9% rise compared to the previous year.
- For the 52-week fiscal year, net sales reached $297.3 billion, demonstrating a notable 10.2% increase from $269.9 billion last year.
- Comparable sales showed strong growth across various segments, with total company comparable sales increasing by 8.4% for the fiscal year.
- Digitally-enabled sales continued to perform exceptionally, with a 20.9% increase for the fiscal year, highlighting Costco's successful expansion in e-commerce.
Potential Negatives
- Comparable sales growth in the U.S. was notably lower at 5.6% when excluding the impacts from gasoline prices and foreign exchange, indicating potential challenges in core U.S. sales.
- The Labor Day shift, which negatively impacted sales by nearly 75 basis points, suggests potential volatility in sales performance due to calendar-related factors.
- The complexity of forward-looking statements coupled with various identified risks, such as inflation and competition, underscores potential uncertainties in future performance.
FAQ
What were Costco's net sales for August 2026?
Costco reported net sales of $23.70 billion for August 2026, a 9.9% increase from the previous year.
How did Costco perform in the fourth quarter of 2026?
In the fourth quarter, Costco achieved net sales of $93.9 billion, reflecting an 11.3% increase compared to last year.
What factors affected Costco's comparable sales in August 2026?
The shift of Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada negatively impacted August total and comparable sales by nearly 75 bps.
How many warehouses does Costco operate worldwide?
Costco operates 939 warehouses globally, with 647 located in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Where can I access Costco's investor presentations?
Investor presentations, including the latest results, can be accessed at investor.costco.com under “Events & Presentations.”
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$COST Insider Trading Activity
$COST insiders have traded $COST stock on the open market 2 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 2 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $COST stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- KENNETH D DENMAN sold 885 shares for an estimated $847,345
- CATON FRATES (Executive Vice President) sold 700 shares for an estimated $695,100
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Quiver Quantitative API insider transaction endpoint.
$COST Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress have traded $COST stock 3 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 2 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $COST stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:
- REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD MCCORMICK sold up to $15,000 on 07/30.
- REPRESENTATIVE DAN NEWHOUSE purchased up to $15,000 on 07/10.
- SENATOR ALAN ARMSTRONG purchased up to $15,000 on 03/27.
To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard. You can access data on congressional stock trades through the Quiver Quantitative API Congress trades endpoint.
$COST Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 1,890 institutional investors add shares of $COST stock to their portfolio, and 2,008 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- INVESCO LTD. added 9,675,631 shares (+224.3%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $9,051,262,531
- DIAMANT ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. removed 6,720,148 shares (-99.9%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $6,286,496,849
- CORIENT PRIVATE WEALTH LLC removed 5,366,419 shares (-87.6%) from their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $5,331,751,933
- JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 4,224,191 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $3,951,603,954
- SIXTH STREET PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.P. added 3,631,675 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $3,397,323,012
- SG AMERICAS SECURITIES, LLC added 955,931 shares (+116.9%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $894,244,772
- MARSHALL WACE, LLP added 910,725 shares (+345.3%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $851,955,915
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Quiver Quantitative API 13F endpoint.
$COST Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $COST recently. We have seen 11 analysts offer price targets for $COST in the last 6 months, with a median target of $1125.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Christopher Horvers from JP Morgan set a target price of $1100.0 on 07/09/2026
- Steven Zaccone from Citigroup set a target price of $1020.0 on 06/18/2026
- Michael Baker from DA Davidson set a target price of $1000.0 on 06/04/2026
- Oliver Chen from TD Cowen set a target price of $1175.0 on 06/03/2026
- Robert Drbul from BTIG set a target price of $1125.0 on 05/29/2026
- Robert Ohmes from B of A Securities set a target price of $1200.0 on 05/29/2026
- Scot Ciccarelli from Truist Securities set a target price of $1011.0 on 05/29/2026
Full Release
ISSAQUAH, Wash., Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of $23.70 billion for the retail month of August, the four weeks ended August 30, 2026, an increase of 9.9 percent from $21.56 billion last year.
For the 16-week fourth quarter, the Company reported net sales of $93.9 billion, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to net sales of $84.4 billion last year.
For the 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2026, the Company reported net sales of $297.3 billion, an increase of 10.2 percent from $269.9 billion last year.
Comparable sales were as follows:
| 4 Weeks | 16 Weeks | 52 Weeks | ||||
| Retail Month | Fourth Quarter | Fiscal Year | ||||
| U.S. | 9.0% | 10.7% | 8.2% | |||
| Canada | 4.0% | 5.0% | 7.8% | |||
| Other International | 9.5% | 7.0% | 9.8% | |||
| Total Company | 8.4% | 9.4% | 8.4% | |||
|
Digitally-Enabled |
17.9% |
19.5% |
20.9% |
|||
Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows:
| 4 Weeks | 16 Weeks | 52 Weeks | ||||
| Retail Month | Fourth Quarter | Fiscal Year | ||||
| U.S. | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6.6% | |||
| Canada | 2.8% | 4.6% | 6.7% | |||
| Other International | 6.8% | 6.2% | 6.5% | |||
| Total Company | 5.4% | 6.7% | 6.6% | |||
|
Digitally-Enabled |
17.9% |
19.8% |
20.7% |
|||
Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada will occur one week later this year. The shift negatively impacted August total and comparable sales by a little less than 75 bps.
Additional discussion of these results is available in a pre-recorded message. It can be accessed by visiting investor.costco.com (click on “Events & Presentations”). This message will be available through 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Costco currently operates 939 warehouses, including 647 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 43 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, three in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland, and New Zealand. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and China.
Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded message constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs and global conflicts), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
| CONTACTS: |
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Josh Dahmen, 425/313-8254 Andrew Yoon, 425/313-6305 Bryan Starnes, 425/427-7403 |
COST-Sales