Costco's Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% As Digital Momentum Remains Strong

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Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) closed fiscal 2026 on a strong sales note, with fourth-quarter net sales rising 11.3% year over year to $93.9 billion from $84.4 billion. The increase highlights solid sales momentum over the 16-week quarter, while the company’s digitally enabled business remained a notable contributor to the overall pace of growth.

Comparable sales for the fourth quarter increased 9.4% companywide. The United States posted a 10.7% comparable-sales gain, while Canada and Other International rose 5% and 7%, respectively. Against that backdrop, digitally enabled comparable sales climbed a much faster 19.5%, showing that Costco’s online and digitally supported channels continued to expand at a stronger rate.

The digital trend remained similarly strong after excluding the effects of gasoline-price changes and foreign exchange. On that basis, total company comparable sales advanced 6.7% in the quarter, while digitally enabled comparable sales increased 19.8%. This wide gap underscores the strength of digital activity during the period.

The momentum was also visible in August, when digitally enabled comparable sales rose 17.9%. For the full 52-week fiscal year, the metric increased 20.9%, or 20.7% excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange impacts.

Costco’s fourth-quarter sales performance was marked by double-digit net sales growth and a digitally enabled business that continued to grow materially faster than companywide comparable sales throughout the reported period.

How Costco Compares With Target and BJ’s Wholesale

Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) also showed improving sales and digital momentum in second-quarter fiscal 2026. Target’s net sales rose 5.3% year over year to $ 26,539 million, while comparable sales increased 3.8%. Digital comparable sales advanced 8.7%, outpacing comparable store sales growth of 2.7%, with same-day delivery rising more than 25%. For Target, the results highlight how digital channels continued to supplement broader top-line growth during the quarter.

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ - Free Report) posted stronger digital growth in second-quarter fiscal 2026, alongside a sharp increase in overall sales. BJ’s Wholesale net sales climbed 15.9% year over year to $6,091 million, while comparable club sales, excluding gasoline, rose 3.1%. Digitally enabled comparable sales surged 30%, representing 64% growth on a two-year stacked basis. For BJ’s Wholesale, digital convenience remained a key driver, supported by pickup, same-day delivery, and ExpressPay engagement.

What the Latest Metrics Say About Costco

Costco has seen its shares tumble 6% over the past three months compared with the industry’s decline of 3.6%.

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From a valuation standpoint, Costco's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 40.71, higher than the industry’s ratio of 29.13. However, it is trading below its 12-month median level of 47.12, indicating some moderation in valuation.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Costco’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 9.6% and 13.5%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 7.9% rise in sales and 10.2% growth in earnings.