Costco’s Membership Fee Is About Due for a Raise, Says Analyst

Costco Wholesale will report fiscal-second-quarter results later this week, and investors may be looking for an update apart from earnings or revenue: Membership fees.

Costco (ticker: COST) is known to be a relatively stable performer in the retail space, and the only major company to still report monthly sales figures. Those regular updates help smooth out surprises that have jolted other stores, but so do membership fees. Costco collects these fees regardless of how often customers shop, allowing them to flow largely to the bottom line, while the investment encourages loyalty from consumers.