Costco stock slips as year-end trading thins; next catalyst is Jan. 7 sales report

Costco stock slips as year-end trading thins; next catalyst is Jan. 7 sales report

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 11:15 ET — Regular session

  • Costco shares down about 0.3% in late-morning trading as U.S. stocks and retail names ease
  • Traders eye Fed meeting minutes and weekly jobless claims in a holiday-shortened week
  • Costco’s investor calendar shows December sales results on Jan. 7 and fiscal Q2 earnings on March 5

Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O) shares slipped 0.3% to $870.91 in late-morning trading on Monday.

The dip comes as investors reposition into the final full week of 2025, a period that often brings thinner trading volumes and sharper intraday moves. U.S. markets are shut on Thursday for New Year’s Day. Reuters

For Costco, attention is shifting to its next scheduled updates — including a December sales report in early January — as traders weigh whether holiday demand held up while interest-rate expectations remain in flux. Reuters+2Costco Investor Relations+2

The broader market was also softer, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust down about 0.4%. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF, a gauge of retail shares, fell 0.6%.

Among Costco’s large retail peers, Walmart rose 0.6%, while Target dropped 0.8%. Warehouse-club rival BJ’s Wholesale Club fell about 1.5%.

Costco’s investor relations calendar lists “December Sales Results” for Jan. 7 at 1:15 p.m. Pacific time, which is after the U.S. market close. Investors watch the monthly update for “comparable sales” — sales at stores open at least a year — as a clean read on underlying demand. Costco Investor Relations+1

On the macro calendar, minutes from the Federal Reserve’s prior meeting and weekly jobless claims are the main U.S. data points due in an otherwise quiet week, Reuters reported. Reuters

“Given this week’s light economic calendar, internal momentum could be the main market storyline this week,” said Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing at E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. “If stocks are going to close out another year of double-digit gains on a high note, they’ll likely need tech.” Reuters

Some investors had been looking for a “Santa Claus rally,” a seasonal pattern in which the S&P 500 tends to rise in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in January, according to Stock Trader’s Almanac. Reuters

Costco operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that sell branded and private-label goods, including its Kirkland label, according to Reuters’ company profile. Reuters+1

Earlier this month, Costco said first-quarter net sales rose 8.2% to $65.98 billion in the 12 weeks ended Nov. 23. Comparable sales excluding gas were up 6.4%, Reuters reported. Costco Investor Relations+1

The stock is down about 4.7% so far in 2025 and has traded between $844.06 and $1,078.23 over the past 52 weeks, Barchart data show. Chart watchers often treat prior lows as “support,” a price area where buyers have previously stepped in. Barchart.com+1

Beyond the Jan. 7 sales report, Costco’s investor site lists its annual shareholders’ meeting on Jan. 15 and a fiscal second-quarter earnings call on March 5, setting the next checkpoints for updates on traffic, pricing and margins. Costco Investor Relations+1

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