Costco has quietly increased the cash back rate on fuel purchased at its warehouse gas pumps to 5%, up from 4%, for holders of the Costco Anywhere Visa Card issued by Citi. The enhanced rate applies to the first $7,000 in annual gas purchases at Costco locations, boosting the potential cash back from $280 to $350. Once cardholders exceed the $7,000 threshold, the rate reverts to 1% for the remainder of the year. Purchases of fuel outside of Costco and electric vehicle charging continue to earn 4% cash back, subject to the same annual cap. This move is designed to strengthen member loyalty and encourage upgrades to the co-branded credit card among Costco’s more than 80 million paid members, supporting the company’s longstanding goal of maintaining a membership renewal rate near 90%.

In a January 16th filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) reported acquiring between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of Costco shares on December 29th. This transaction marks one of several investments disclosed by the Senator that day, which also included positions in Deere, Hilton Worldwide, RTX and others. The disclosure underscores growing interest in Costco from both retail and institutional investors and highlights the stock’s appeal amidst a backdrop of resilient membership economics and international expansion initiatives.

Costco reported fourth-quarter revenue of $67.31 billion, up 8.3% year-over-year, and delivered earnings per share of $4.34, beating consensus estimates by $0.07. The company’s net margin improved to 2.96%, while return on equity reached 29.35%. In conjunction with these results, the board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share, representing a 27.85% payout ratio and supporting an annualized yield of approximately 0.5%. The dividend will be paid on February 13th to shareholders of record as of January 30th. Management cited continued strength in membership renewals and average transaction values as key drivers of both top-line growth and margin stability.

Several major institutional investors have increased their stakes in Costco over the past two quarters. Norges Bank initiated a position worth about $5.7 billion in the second quarter, while Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC expanded its holdings by over 418,000%, acquiring more than 2.3 million additional shares. Laurel Wealth Advisors followed suit with a 96,000% increase, and Assenagon Asset Management boosted its position more than 1,500% in the fourth quarter. These moves, combined with Amundi’s 45% increase in the prior quarter, have pushed institutional ownership to approximately 68.5%, underlining conviction in Costco’s resilient membership-based business model and disciplined capital allocation strategy.