Costco Wholesale Corporation(COST)Earnings Date, History & Expected MoveNASDAQ
Next report date, beat rate and options-implied move
COST is scheduled to report on Dec 10, 2026, usually after the market closes. This date is a projection and has not been confirmed in the earnings calendar.
EPS: Actual vs Estimate
Reported earnings per share against the consensus estimate, last 12 quarters.
Green = beat or met, red = missed, amber = our data sources disagree on beat vs miss for that quarter.
Stock Reaction After Earnings
Close-to-close move in the first session that reflected each report.
Dashed lines mark the average actual move (±3.0%).
Did the stock rise after good news?
"Beat" means the company earned more than analysts expected. Here is what the stock did the next day.
In plain words: it beat expectations 11 times, but the stock still fell 5 of those 11 times.
- Sep '26Beat▲ +2.9%
- May '26Beat▼ -3.9%
- Mar '26Beat▲ +1.6%
- Dec '25Beat▼ 0.0%
- Sep '25Beat▼ -2.9%
- May '25Beat▲ +3.1%
- Mar '25Missed▼ -6.1%
- Dec '24Beat▲ +0.1%
- Sep '24Beat▼ -1.8%
- Jun '24Beat▲ +1.0%
- Mar '24Beat▼ -7.6%
- Dec '23Beat▲ +4.4%
Only reports with a clear beat or miss and a known price reaction are counted. A beat does not guarantee a gain.
Why did COST fall after beating earnings?
Beating or missing estimates is only part of the story. These are the measurable things that stand out for each surprising reaction.
COST beat EPS estimates in 11 quarters, and the stock still closed lower the next day 5 times. In 1 of the 5 where we have price data, the stock had already run up before the report.
- May 28, 2026EPS beat +0.2%→stock -3.9% next day
- The EPS beat was small (+0.2%).
- Dec 11, 2025EPS beat +5.1%→stock 0.0% next day
Nothing in the price and estimate numbers we track stands out for this one. Guidance and management comments are not part of our data.
- Sep 25, 2025EPS beat +1.2%→stock -2.9% next day
- The EPS beat was small (+1.2%).
- It opened 1.9% lower as soon as trading resumed.
- Sep 26, 2024EPS beat +4.5%→stock -1.8% next day
Nothing in the price and estimate numbers we track stands out for this one. Guidance and management comments are not part of our data.
- Mar 7, 2024EPS beat +8.6%→stock -7.6% next day
- It had risen 9.1% in the 20 trading sessions before the report, so good news may already have been priced in.
- It opened 3.8% lower as soon as trading resumed.
These are patterns visible in estimates and prices, not confirmed causes. Information only, not investment advice.
Was COST's earnings move already priced in?
Stocks often move in the weeks before a report. This compares that run-up with what happened after the report.
“Month before” is the move over the 20 trading days up to the last close before the report. “Priced in” means the good news may already be in the price. A run-up of 5% or more is treated as large.
Before vs after each report
Grey: how the stock moved in the 20 trading days before the report. Green or red: how it moved the day after.
Past reports only: this shows what happened, not what will happen.
Does COST hold its opening gap after earnings?
A gap is how far the stock opens from the previous close. A gap fades when the stock gives back at least half of it by the end of the day.
In 6 reports COST opened at least 1% away from the previous close. It gave back half or more of that gap by the close 2 of 6 times (33%), and fully reversed 2 times.
- Sep 24, 2026ReversedOpened -1.1%, closed +2.9%
- Mar 5, 2026ReversedOpened -1.6%, closed +1.6%
- Sep 25, 2025HeldOpened -1.9%, closed -2.9%
- Mar 6, 2025HeldOpened -3.1%, closed -6.1%
- Mar 7, 2024HeldOpened -3.8%, closed -7.6%
- Dec 14, 2023HeldOpened +1.7%, closed +4.4%
Gap = opening price vs the previous close. Close = the end of the first session that reflected the report. Reports without a clear opening time are left out.
What the history says
- COST has beaten EPS estimates in 6 straight quarters.
- It fell after 5 of its 11 EPS beats (46%): beating estimates has not been enough on its own.
COST earnings history
Last 12 reported quarters with the stock's reaction.
Swipe sideways to see every column →
| Report date | Time | EPS est. | EPS actual | Surprise | 1-day move | 3-day move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2026 | After close | $6.53 | $6.75 | +3.4% | +2.93% | +3.14% |
| May 28, 2026 | After close | $4.92 | $4.93 | +0.2% | -3.91% | -4.11% |
| Mar 5, 2026 | After close | $4.54 | $4.58 | +0.9% | +1.58% | +1.51% |
| Dec 11, 2025 | After close | $4.28 | $4.50 | +5.1% | 0.00% | -2.72% |
| Sep 25, 2025 | After close | $5.80 | $5.87 | +1.2% | -2.90% | -1.87% |
| May 29, 2025 | After close | $4.23 | $4.28 | +1.2% | +3.12% | +4.64% |
| Mar 6, 2025 | After close | $4.10 | $4.02 | -2.0% | -6.07% | -9.36% |
| Dec 12, 2024 | After close | $3.80 | $4.04 | +6.3% | +0.10% | -0.64% |
| Sep 26, 2024 | After close | $5.06 | $5.29 | +4.5% | -1.76% | -2.67% |
| Jun 6, 2024 | Before open | $3.77 | $3.78 | +0.3% | +1.00% | +1.68% |
| Mar 7, 2024 | After close | $3.61 | $3.92 | +8.6% | -7.64% | -6.20% |
| Dec 14, 2023 | After close | $3.42 | $3.58 | +4.7% | +4.45% | +7.44% |
COST Earnings FAQ
Answers computed from Costco Wholesale Corporation's reported history
COST is scheduled to report on Dec 10, 2026, usually after the market closes. This date is a projection and has not been confirmed in the earnings calendar.
Over the last 12 quarters with a usable EPS surprise, COST beat the consensus estimate 11 times (92%), missed 1 and landed in line 0. It has beaten estimates in each of the last 6 counted quarters.
Across its last 12 quarters with a measured reaction, COST moved an average of ±3.0% in the first session after reporting. It closed higher 50% of the time; the largest gain was 4.5% and the largest drop -7.6%.
COST fell in the first session after 5 of its last 11 EPS beats (46%). A beat that was already priced in, or weaker guidance, can send a stock lower. In 1 of the 5 of those falls where price data is available, the stock had already risen before the report.
Across its last 12 quarters with price data, COST moved an average of +1.7% in the 20 trading sessions before reporting and was higher in 58% of them. After a run-up of 3% or more (4 quarters), it fell the next day 25% of the time, averaging -0.5%. This describes past reports; it is not a forecast.
In 6 reports COST opened at least 1% away from the previous close. It gave back half or more of that gap by the close 2 of 6 times (33%), and fully reversed 2 times. A fade means the opening move was partly undone during the first session.
How we calculate these numbers
Reported EPS and estimates come from Yahoo Finance; report times, upcoming dates and revenue come from Finnhub. The 1-day move is the close-to-close change over the first session that reflects the report (the report-day close for after-close reports, the prior close for pre-market reports); reactions are left blank when the report time is unknown or looks inconsistent. The expected move is the price of the nearest at-the-money straddle that expires after the report divided by the share price, shown only when the quotes are liquid. Quarters where the two data sources disagree on beat versus miss are shown but never counted. Information only, not investment advice.