10 Best Stocks to Buy to Beat the S&P 500

7. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)

YTD Return as of May 7: 17.35%

On May 6, Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) reported net sales of $23.92 billion for the four-week retail month ended May 3, 2026. That was up 13.0% from $21.18 billion during the same period last year.

For the first 35 weeks of the fiscal year, net sales totaled $197.18 billion, compared with $180.05 billion a year earlier. The increase came to 9.5%. Comparable sales stayed strong across regions during the four-week period. U.S. comparable sales rose 11.7%, while Canada and other international markets each posted 11.5% growth. Total company comparable sales increased 11.6%.

Digitally enabled sales also continued to grow, rising 18.8% during the month. Looking at the first 35 weeks of the year, U.S. comparable sales increased 6.9%. Canada posted 9.1% growth, and other international markets grew 11.0%. Total company comparable sales rose 7.8%, while digitally enabled sales climbed 21.6%.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) operates membership warehouses and e-commerce platforms that sell nationally branded and private-label products across a broad range of categories. The company buys most of its merchandise directly from suppliers and ships it either to distribution depots or straight to its warehouses.