The gains furthered an impressive streak that's seen Costco's revenue and profits rise steadily over the past decade, despite the negative impacts of the global pandemic and inflationary macroeconomic backdrop in recent years. The timing of those payments, which have occurred roughly every three years, suggests Costco's investors have another large special dividend to look forward to in the near future. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) is a proven winner in the retail arena.