COST Stock May Benefit from Higher Energy Prices While people shop at Costco for attractive discounts on bulk goods, the company truly became relevant for its fuel services. However, as the Federal Reserve kept pounding on inflation through higher benchmark interest rates and as energy markets adjusted to the initial shock of Russia’s brazen invasion of Ukraine, the gasoline catalyst for COST stock somewhat diminished, as the November sales report demonstrated. While big-box retailer Costco (NASDAQ: COST) always presented a compelling narrative for its economic resilience, its shares cut a choppy figure this year.