New York, Feb 13, 2026, 14:18 (EST) — Regular session
- Costco shares climb almost 2% in afternoon action, staying north of $1,000.
- Rate-cut hopes got a boost from a softer U.S. inflation reading, giving shares of steady-growth retailers a lift.
- Early March numbers now face a fresh wrinkle: a rotisserie chicken lawsuit making headlines.
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O) climbed 1.9% to $1,017.60 Friday afternoon, reclaiming the $1,000 level after softer U.S. inflation numbers boosted rate-sensitive consumer stocks. Shares saw a range from $994.00 to $1,022.89, with around 1.5 million shares exchanging hands so far.
Costco lands squarely in the crosshairs for traders nervous about inflation, interest rates, and American shoppers. As soon as the market senses rate cuts could be on the table, retailers like this—higher prices, loyal customers—often see shares snap higher.
There’s also a significant company event on the horizon. Costco reports sales and earnings again in early March. Traders usually dig into those monthly figures—they’re seen as a fast way to gauge store traffic and pricing muscle.
U.S. consumer prices edged up 0.2% in January, coming in just under the 0.3% rise economists had expected, according to the Labor Department’s latest release. Core CPI, which strips out food and energy, increased 0.3%. James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones, called price pressures “a little too hot for comfort,” but noted that inflation’s “direction of travel” still “continues to look to be lower.” Reuters
After the inflation report landed, traders slightly raised their bets on a June Federal Reserve cut, Reuters noted, though choppy action in big tech names weighed on the session. “The trend in disinflation continues,” said Michael Metcalfe, head of market strategy at State Street Markets. Reuters
Costco shares surged 2.1% Thursday, topping gains at both Target and Amazon even as the broader market slumped, per MarketWatch data. Walmart shares also posted a strong rally.
Costco reported earlier this month that net sales for January climbed 9.3% to $21.33 billion. Comparable sales, measuring stores open at least a year, were up 7.1%. The retailer’s e-commerce-driven metric—digitally-enabled sales—surged 34.4%. Costco also pointed to the later Lunar and Chinese New Year holidays as a drag on its international numbers.
Costco plans to post fiscal Q2 earnings and February sales on March 5 at 1:15 p.m. Pacific, the company’s investor calendar shows. Eyes are on trends in store visits, e-commerce, and membership metrics with inflation coming down but service expenses holding firm.
A new lawsuit is throwing some fresh headline risk at Costco. An animal-rights group has launched a proposed class action, claiming the company’s chicken plant in Fremont, Nebraska, is contaminated with salmonella and doesn’t meet USDA safety requirements. Costco didn’t have an immediate comment for Reuters. The suit goes after the chain’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken — that well-known “loss-leader” used to draw in shoppers. Reuters
Costco’s next potential mover comes up March 5, with the company slated to release its quarterly earnings and February sales figures to investors.
