Costco’s DoorDash Launch Came Too Late to Touch the Quarter It Reports September 24

Costco’s DoorDash Launch Came Too Late to Touch the Quarter It Reports September 24 Omor Ibne Ehsan Fri, September 18, 2026 at 5:43 PM GMT+2 4 min read COST DASH WMT AMZN Quick Read Costco's Q4 report won't reflect the DoorDash deal, but digital comps already ran 21. 5% and e-commerce traffic surged 37% without it. The DoorDash partnership is a defensive move against Walmart+ and Amazon Prime, both of which already bundle same-day delivery with membership.

At 45x earnings, COST dropped nearly 4% after Q3 on a 0. 14% beat, making membership renewal the number that matters most Wednesday. Read More: Learn 7 secret wealth tips high net worth investors use that most investors miss (sponsor) Costco ( NASDAQ:COST ) reports fiscal fourth-quarter results after the close on Wednesday, September 24, 2026, and the same-day delivery tie-up with DoorDash ( NASDAQ:DASH ) that put more than 4,000 Costco products inside a third-party app went live after the quarter closed.

2024 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images The quarter covers the roughly 16-week period ending in late August or early September, so the new channel cannot contribute to reported sales or earnings. Instead, the numbers will show a digital business already running hot without help, and a membership engine driving earnings quality. The stock enters the quarter at $893.

93, down 7. 01% over the past month. Why the Launch Cannot Touch This Quarter Fiscal Q4 2026 was in the books before DoorDash opened, and management has disclosed no fee split, margin effect, or volume target for the partnership.

Costco's digital story was already accelerating. Fiscal Q3 2026 posted digitally-enabled comparable sales of 21. 5% and e-commerce site and app traffic up 37%, following +22.

6% digital comps in Q2. COST Earnings Explorer — 24/7 Wall St. Management described same-day delivery as "a strong driver of loyalty as it is often our highest spending members who are using this service.

" Where the Earnings Quality Actually Lives Membership economics remain the moat. Q3 brought 82. 9 million paid members, membership fees of $1.

37 billion (up 10. 7%), and a worldwide renewal rate of 89. 7%.

Costco trades at a P/E of 45x, which leaves little room for a soft membership number. Learn 7 Secret Wealth Tips High Net Worth Investors Use How do you continue to grow a seven-figure portfolio in retirement? The last thing you want is to run out of money, you want your money to generate lasting income while you enjoy your life.

Learn seven strategies high net worth investors use with new report: The Seven Secrets of High Net Worth Investors from Fisher Investments. Get your guide here (sponsor) The DoorDash deal is defensive against Walmart ( NYSE:WMT ), whose Walmart+ bundles same-day delivery, and Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), whose Prime and Whole Foods set the delivery benchmark Costco members compare against. Story Continues Costco is choosing partnership over vertical integration.

Management said in May, "At the current time, we're happy with the partners that we have. " DoorDash gains a trophy assortment; Costco gains reach without building last-mile infrastructure. Whether that lifts basket size or reshuffles existing orders is the question for future quarters.

Bull and Bear Case for COST Stock The bull case rests on the membership flywheel: renewal near 90%, executive penetration at three-quarters of sales, and digital growth north of 20% before DoorDash adds anything. Analysts carry a target of $1,072. 20.

COST Price Target — 24/7 Wall St. The bear case is valuation and reaction risk. Costco's Q3 report fell 3.

91% day-of on a mere 0. 14% beat, and Q2 2025's miss produced a 6. 07% day-of drop.

At 45 times earnings, an in-line quarter can sting. COST Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St. The key variable is whether digital comps and executive-member growth held their recent pace through August.

Learn 7 Secret Wealth Tips High Net Worth Investors Use How do you continue to grow a seven-figure portfolio in retirement? The last thing you want is to run out of money, you want your money to generate lasting income while you enjoy your life. Learn seven strategies high net worth investors use with new report: The Seven Secrets of High Net Worth Investors from Fisher Investments.

Get your guide here (sponsor) Contact editorial@247wallst. com for any questions or corrections.