Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Costco (Nasdaq: COST) reported April net sales of $23.92 billion for the four weeks ended May 3, 2026, up 13.0% year-over-year; net sales for the first 35 weeks were $197.18 billion, up 9.5% year-over-year.
Comparable sales: Total company +11.6% (4 weeks) and +7.8% (35 weeks); digitally-enabled comps +18.8% (4 weeks) and +21.6% (35 weeks). April included one extra shopping day, boosting sales ~1.5–2%.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- April net sales +13.0% to $23.92 billion
- 35-week net sales $197.18 billion, +9.5% year-over-year
- Digitally-enabled comparable sales +18.8% (4 weeks) and +21.6% (35 weeks)
Negative
- April sales benefited from an extra shopping day, adding approximately 1.5–2% to sales
News Market Reaction – COST
On the day this news was published, COST gained 1.64%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
COST was up 0.36% with mixed but generally positive peer moves: WMT +0.21%, BJ +1.07%, DG +0.74%, TGT +0.44%, while DLTR declined -0.95%. Scanner data did not flag a coordinated sector momentum move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15 | Dividend increase | Positive | +0.3% | Board raised quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share, boosting capital return. |
| Apr 09 | Product placement | Neutral | +0.2% | Return of Edna’s Margarita Mix to Western Canada warehouses for limited run. |
| Apr 08 | March sales update | Positive | +0.2% | March net sales rose to $28.41B with strong comparable and digital growth. |
| Mar 05 | Earnings & sales | Positive | +1.6% | Q2 2026 net sales and income grew, with high single-digit comps and strong digital. |
| Feb 04 | January sales update | Positive | +1.1% | January net sales rose to $21.33B and comps increased mid- to high-single digits. |
Recent sales and earnings updates with broadly positive metrics have been followed by modest positive next-day price reactions.
Over the last few months, Costco has reported steady sales and earnings growth, with multiple monthly sales updates and a solid fiscal 2026 Q2 report. January, March, and now April sales all showed high single- to low double-digit net sales growth, while earnings in early March highlighted higher net income and EPS. An April dividend increase further underscored capital return. Each of these announcements saw small positive one-day moves (up to about 1.58%), suggesting investors have reacted constructively but not explosively to fundamentally strong news.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details solid April performance, with net sales of $23.92 billion (up 13.0%) and year‑to‑date net sales of $197.18 billion (up 9.5%). Comparable sales grew strongly across geographies and in digitally‑enabled channels, even when excluding gasoline and foreign exchange. Compared with prior monthly sales and recent earnings updates, it reinforces a pattern of steady growth. Investors may watch upcoming releases for trends in comparable sales, digital momentum, and any normalization after the extra April shopping day.
Key Terms
comparable sales financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
u.s. gaap financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
ISSAQUAH, Wash., May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of
Net sales for the first 35 weeks were
Comparable sales for the periods ended May 3, 2026, were as follows:
| 4 Weeks | 35 Weeks | ||
| U.S. | |||
| Canada | |||
| Other International | |||
| Total Company | |||
| Digitally-Enabled | |||
Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows:
| 4 Weeks | 35 Weeks | ||
| U.S. | |||
| Canada | |||
| Other International | |||
| Total Company | |||
| Digitally-Enabled | |||
April had one additional shopping day versus last year, due to the calendar shift of Easter. This positively impacted total and comparable sales by approximately one and one-half to two percent.
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, May 13, 2026.
Costco currently operates 928 warehouses, including 637 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 42 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 and Australia.
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 |
