Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Costco (Nasdaq:COST) reported May 2026 net sales of $24.01 billion for the four weeks ended May 31, up 14.5% from $20.97 billion.
Net sales for the first 39 weeks were $221.19 billion, a 10.0% increase. Total company comparable sales rose 12.5% for four weeks and 8.3% for 39 weeks, with digitally-enabled comparable sales up over 21%.
Positive
- May 2026 net sales $24.01B, up 14.5% year over year
- 39-week net sales $221.19B, up 10.0% year over year
- Total company comparable sales +12.5% for four weeks
- Total company comparable sales +8.3% for 39 weeks
- Digitally-enabled comparable sales +21.1% for four weeks
- Digitally-enabled comparable sales +21.6% for 39 weeks
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – COST
In the Jun 4 session, COST gained 1.09%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28 | Q3 earnings results | Positive | -3.9% | Strong Q3 2026 sales, earnings, and membership metrics reported. |
| May 06 | April sales update | Positive | +1.6% | April net sales up 13% with solid comparable and digital sales growth. |
| Apr 15 | Dividend increase | Positive | +0.3% | Quarterly dividend raised to $1.47 per share, signaling confidence. |
| Apr 09 | Product placement news | Positive | +0.2% | Edna’s Margarita Mix returned to Costco Canada in new premium format. |
| Apr 08 | March sales update | Positive | +0.2% | March net sales up 11.3% with strong comparable and digital growth. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive operational updates and dividend news usually saw modestly positive reactions, with a notable divergence on strong Q3 earnings.
Over the past few months, Costco has reported consistently strong fundamentals. March and April sales updates showed double-digit net sales growth and robust digitally-enabled gains. In late May, Q3 FY2026 results highlighted higher net sales, earnings, and membership strength, though shares fell 3.91%. A dividend increase in April underscored confidence in cash flow. Today’s May sales release, with continued double-digit growth and strong digital comps, extends this pattern of steady operational momentum.
Key Terms
comparable sales financial
digitally-enabled technical
foreign exchange financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
U.S. GAAP financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
ISSAQUAH, Wash., June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of
Net sales for the first 39 weeks were
Comparable sales for the periods ended May 31, 2026, were as follows:
| 4 Weeks | 39 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 | 39 Weeks | ||
| U.S. | |||
| Canada | |||
| Other International | |||
| Total Company | |||
Digitally-Enabled | |||
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, June 10, 2026.
Costco currently operates 931 warehouses, including 639 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
