New York, January 30, 2026, 19:40 (EST) — After-hours update
- In late after-hours trading, Costco shares fell roughly 1.3%.
- Instacart and Costco announced the rollout of same-day delivery websites in France and Spain.
- Investors will eye Costco’s January sales update on Feb. 4 for fresh clues on demand.
Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST.O) slipped roughly 1.3% to $940.25 in late after-hours trading on Friday, following the 4 p.m. market close. During the regular session, the stock fluctuated between $930.62 and $951.01, with about 2.4 million shares traded.
The pullback arrives as investors question if Costco’s convenience drive can hold up against a more challenging environment for consumer stocks. The online delivery space has grown fiercely competitive, and Costco’s membership model doesn’t completely shield the shares when concerns over rates and inflation heat up.
Instacart and Costco announced on Friday that they’re taking their partnership to Europe, rolling out Costco’s first same-day delivery websites in France and Spain via Instacart’s Storefront Pro platform. Chris Rogers said he’s “incredibly proud to expand that relationship into Europe,” while Pierre Riel called it “another step in making Costco easier to access.” (Instacart)
The broader market dragged down sentiment. Wall Street slipped after December’s Producer Price Index (PPI), a key wholesale inflation measure, climbed 0.5%. Adding to jitters, President Donald Trump tapped Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 slid 0.43%, while the Nasdaq lost 0.94%. Terry Sandven, strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management, pointed to “uncertainty” as investors digested the implications of a new Fed chair. (Reuters)
Costco gains a fresh angle beyond its warehouse sales with this delivery update, yet its shares remain sensitive to moves in rates and inflation bets. Friday’s broad sell-off swept the market, despite investors sifting through individual company news.
Costco announced earlier this month that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share. The payout will be made on Feb. 13 to shareholders recorded by the close of business on Jan. 30. (Costco Investor Relations)
In a separate development, a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California claims Costco misled customers by advertising its $4.99 rotisserie chicken as containing “no preservatives,” even though ingredients like sodium phosphate and carrageenan were listed. Costco responded by removing the preservative claim from both signs and online listings, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. (San Francisco Chronicle)
On Friday, large retailers showed mixed results. Walmart Inc climbed around 1.5%, Target Corp advanced about 2.6%, but Amazon.com Inc. slipped nearly 1.0%.
The situation can shift quickly. Should wholesale inflation prove persistent and borrowing costs hold at elevated levels, retailers might struggle to balance competitive pricing with margin protection. Meanwhile, legal claims could drag on beyond what investors anticipate.
Costco is set to release its January sales figures on Feb. 4, ahead of its fiscal second-quarter earnings call slated for March 5. (Costco Investor Relations)
