Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) shares climbed in premarket trading Thursday after the warehouse retailer delivered another solid monthly sales report, continuing the company's streak of impressive growth numbers. The stock's gains mirror broader strength in the Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500.
Strong Sales Across the Board
January was a good month for the bulk-buying giant. Costco posted net sales of $21.33 billion for the month, a 9.3% jump from $19.51 billion in January last year. The geographic breakdown tells an interesting story: U.S. comparable sales rose 5.8%, which is solid, but Canadian comparable sales absolutely crushed it with an 11.4% increase.
The real standout? Digital sales, which rocketed up 34.4% for the month. That's the kind of growth that catches investors' attention, especially as the retailer continues building out its e-commerce capabilities while maintaining its warehouse-focused model.
Zooming out to the bigger picture, Costco's total sales for the first 22 weeks of fiscal 2025 hit $123.16 billion, reflecting an 8.5% rise from $113.55 billion during the same stretch last year. That's consistent, steady growth—exactly what you want to see from a mature retailer.
What the Charts Are Saying
Technically speaking, Costco stock is showing some muscle. Shares are trading 3.2% above the 20-day simple moving average and 8.2% above the 100-day SMA, which suggests longer-term momentum is intact. Despite a 6.19% decline over the past 12 months, the stock is positioned much closer to its 52-week highs than lows.
The technical indicators are sending mixed signals, though. The RSI sits at 64.84, which is neutral territory—not overbought, not oversold. Meanwhile, the MACD is trading below its signal line, hinting at some bearish pressure. It's the classic case of momentum caught between two narratives.
Key levels to watch: resistance at $1,000 and support at $950.
