Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported its second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on March 5, 2023, revealing a 2.1% increase in its stock price following the announcement. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus estimates for both revenue and earnings, driven by strong membership growth and a 6.7% rise in comparable sales, which included a 6.4% increase in the U.S. and 7.6% in Canada and Other International markets.
Costco ended the quarter with 82.1 million paid members, a 4.8% increase year-over-year, while executive memberships rose by 9.5% to 40.4 million. Membership fee income grew 13.6% year-over-year, with a renewal rate of 92.1% in the U.S. and Canada. The company plans to open 28 net new warehouses in fiscal 2026, supporting ongoing global expansion.
Digital sales also surged, with a 22.6% year-over-year increase in digitally enabled comparable sales, backed by a 32% rise in e-commerce traffic. The Zacks Consensus estimate for the current fiscal year increased by 7 cents to $20.29, with a projected growth rate of 12.8% year-over-year.
