$COST

The US Department of Justice has expanded its anti-trust probe into beef prices to include eight major retailers, such as Walmart and Costco, according to a DoJ post on X. The investigation, which began in May with four large meatpackers, now examines retailers' beef pricing strategies, profit margins, and purchasing arrangements since 2020. The DoJ seeks records and briefings from the companies to assess trends in beef prices, a critical concern for the American public.

Costco (COST) has raised its dividend annually since 2004. The stock trades at 47x earnings, with net sales up 10.2% for the fiscal year. Analysts expect Q4 EPS of $6.56. Costco has paid five special dividends, with the last two near year-end, suggesting another large payout may come this year.

Sam's Club is offering a limited-time $25 membership discount, down from $60, to attract new customers and compete with Costco. According to Walmart, global membership fee revenue increased 17% year over year, driven by growth in Walmart+ and Sam's Club U.S. Costco, meanwhile, reported $1.37 billion in membership fee revenue, up 10.7% year over year, and recently raised its membership prices.

The U.S. DOJ is investigating eight major grocery retailers, including Kroger, Publix, and Costco, over beef price increases. President Trump expanded beef imports, adding 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings at lower tariffs, citing supply issues and affordability concerns.

The U.S. DOJ is investigating Walmart, Costco, and other retailers for high beef prices, according to Reuters. The Trump administration has accused meatpackers of price manipulation. Tyson Foods settled a lawsuit for $82.5 million over beef price inflation claims. Beef prices have risen 5.4% year-over-year, per the BLS.

Costco reported fiscal 2026 net sales of $297.3B, up 10.2% YoY. August sales rose 9.9% YoY to $23.7B. Comparable sales, excluding gasoline and FX, increased 5.6% for the month and 6.6% for the year. Bank of America maintains a Buy rating with a $1,200 price target, citing Costco's value proposition and share gains.

Costco (COST) is 15.4% below its 52-week high of $1,096.50, with August net sales up 9.9% YoY to $23.7B. The stock trades at $928.50, with a market cap of $411.8B. DA Davidson maintains a Neutral rating and $1,000 target. The company's P/E ratio is ~56x, and digital sales grew 17.9%.

The DOJ is investigating Walmart, Costco, Amazon, and five other retailers over beef price increases, calling it a 'critical concern.' The probe follows a May investigation into beef market concentration. Ground beef prices averaged $6.89 per pound in July, up 10% year over year. The DOJ is seeking whistleblowers for potential price-fixing.

The DOJ is investigating eight retailers, including Walmart (WMT), Costco (COST), and Amazon (AMZN), over rising beef prices. The probe follows an earlier investigation into beef market concentration. July ground beef prices averaged $6.89 per pound, up 10% year over year, according to BLS data. The DOJ seeks whistleblowers to report potential price-fixing or other violations.

Costco reported August net sales of $23.70B, up 9.9% YoY, with comparable sales growth of 8.4%. Q4 net sales rose 11.3% to $93.9B, and fiscal year sales increased 10.2% to $297.3B. U.S. comparable sales grew 9.0%, while digital sales surged 17.9%. Shares gained 0.095 to $929.27 in overnight trading.