Costco Wholesale Reports 'Stable' US Comparable Sales Trends in August, Oppenheimer Says

01:31 PM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Costco Wholesale (COST) has reported "stable" US comparable sales trends in August, with its adjusted comp excluding gas increasing about 6.4%, assuming a 75 basis points headwind related to Labor Day weekend shift, Oppenheimer said in a Wednesday note. Similar to other recent data points, grocery sales softened further with the food and sundries category increasing in the low single-digits compared with low to mid-single-digits in July and mid-single digit type growth earlier in the year, Oppenheimer said. Looking ahead, Oppenheimer continues to see the potential for a special dividend and/or a stock split, which could represent a positive catalyst for shares, according to the note. Oppenheimer maintained its outperform rating with a $1,160 price target. Price: 928.13, Change: -0.35, Percent Change: -0.04