NEW YORK, Jan 16, 2026, 18:49 EST — After-hours
- Costco shares climbed 0.7% to $963.61 in after-hours trading
- The board has approved a $1.30 quarterly dividend, set for payment on Feb. 13
- Traders are turning their attention to January’s sales figures and the upcoming earnings call
Costco Wholesale Corp shares ticked up 0.7% to $963.61 in after-hours trading on Friday. During regular hours, the stock fluctuated between $951.20 and $964.41.
The U.S. market will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, cutting one session for investors to adjust their positions. Costco is a heavily watched “steady” retail stock, so its positioning can shift quickly when there’s limited news. New York Stock Exchange
A routine dividend rarely moves the needle. Yet with Costco’s premium valuation—investors banking on its membership-driven sales—any sign of trouble draws close attention from traders.
On Thursday, the warehouse club announced a quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share, set to be paid on Feb. 13 to shareholders recorded by Jan. 30, the company reported. Costco currently runs 923 warehouses globally.
Costco conducted its annual shareholders meeting Thursday through a webcast, as outlined in its proxy statement. Shareholders were asked to cast votes on director elections, auditor ratification, executive compensation, and other matters.
Bernstein analyst Zhihan Ma stuck with an “Outperform” rating in a Jan. 15 note, maintaining a $1,146 price target. She described Costco as “the ultimate compounder” and said it remains “still undervalued.” Ma also argued the stock deserves a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.4 times earnings — a metric comparing share price to expected profit. Kiplinger
A regulatory filing revealed that Executive Vice President James C. Klauer offloaded 1,500 Costco shares on Jan. 14, fetching $939 apiece. After the sale, he still holds roughly 44,837 shares directly. Insider selling doesn’t always hint at company trouble, but it can temper enthusiasm when a stock is gaining steam.
The risk is straightforward: a high-priced stock demands solid numbers. If traffic dips or costs like wages, freight, or shrink rise, Costco’s margin story could quickly become messy.
Investors will see January sales numbers on Feb. 4, followed by Costco’s fiscal second-quarter earnings call scheduled for March 5. These are the next key dates for COST.
