New York, February 22, 2026, 14:35 ET — Market closed.
- Costco Wholesale ended the session at $985.27, slipping 0.26%.
- After the Supreme Court’s decision threw U.S. tariff policy into uncertainty, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned it might be years before any refunds are processed.
Costco Wholesale Corporation closed out Friday at $985.27, a slip of 0.26%, keeping the stock roughly 7.7% under its 52-week peak, per the company’s investor relations page.
Stocks on Wall Street edged higher after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs, nudging investors toward riskier assets. The S&P 500 added 0.69%, while the Nasdaq climbed 0.90%, according to Reuters.
Why does it matter right now? The tariff decision puts the focus squarely on who actually pockets any refunds—and how soon. Court filings reveal more than 1,800 importers, Costco among them, have gone to court for tariff paybacks since Feb. 1, 2025. “A lot of goodwill” will be needed to fend off a flood of fights, Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general at the International Chamber of Commerce, warned. Reuters
Refunds won’t come automatically. The Supreme Court left the repayment process undefined, so importers could be forced to seek relief in the U.S. Court of International Trade. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in dissent, called the prospect of getting money back “a mess,” according to Reuters. Reuters
The weekend brought another change. Trump fired back at the ruling, slapping a fresh tariff on all imports and bumping that up to 15%—the legal ceiling—less than a day later, according to Reuters.
Costco edged down Friday, diverging from other retail names. Walmart dropped 1.5%. Target managed a 0.9% gain. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF advanced roughly 0.7%.
Market strategists called the ruling both a relief and a head-scratcher. Eric Merlis, co-head of global markets at Citizens, pointed out the court “stopped short of clarifying eligibility for tariff refunds, leaving a key source of uncertainty intact.” Reuters
Costco’s next move comes into focus with its fiscal Q2 earnings call set for March 5. Investors can also mark April 8 for the company’s March sales update, as noted on its investor relations page.
It’s a tricky situation: investors remain in the dark on both the speed of any tariff refunds and just how much extra cost actually lingers in the supply chain. U.S. markets come back online Monday, and headlines about tariffs could grab the spotlight right out of the gate. For COST, eyes are on the March 5 earnings report and call as the next major event.
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