Dividends are a nice little perk of being a shareholder, along with holding a stake in a company that you believe in, which will hopefully increase in value over time.
Depending on the stock and how much you own, the payouts can be quite decent, even wading into double-digit percentage territory for some high-yield (though usually volatile) equities. But even when returns are relatively meager, the extra cash can be enough to completely offset certain everyday costs — like, say, a Costco membership.
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In the case of Costco Wholesale Corp. [NASDAQ: COST] stock, the quarterly dividend and associated stock owner benefits can actually end up covering your entire annual enrollment fee, making it somewhat of a “hack” for loyal shoppers.
Cash dividend means three shares can pay for membership
On Nov. 10, the beloved American warehouse brand announced that a special cash dividend, amounting to $30 per share, will be paid out to all investors on December 4, 2026. Considering that a Personal or Business Costco card is $65 a year, that means just three shares could completely finance your dues for the year.
However, it should be noted that the capital return is only available to those who serve as shareholders of record by the end of day on Nov. 24, 2026. And per the IRS, the shares must be held for more than 60 days for the dividend to be considered qualified. This will affect how the dividend is taxed if shares are held in a taxable brokerage account (qualified dividends are taxed at long-term capital gains rates, while regular dividends are taxed at a typical income tax rate).
This new disbursement comes on top of the fact that, theoretically, the amount customers save on their shopping hauls should more than cancel out the fee for said membership. The retail titan also periodically holds promotions that include statement credits or vouchers with sign-up, and tends to offer special cash dividends to investors every few years, making it even more worth it.
