COST Stock Before Earnings: Options, IV & the Setup

What happens to COST stock before earnings? Two things are measurable: Costco's next earnings date is not confirmed yet; its 10-year average earnings move is about ±3.9%. That build-up in implied volatility is the IV rush — the pre-earnings pattern this page is about — and it collapses the moment the numbers are out (the IV crush), which is why buying calls or puts the night before is usually a bet against the odds unless the move beats what was priced. Below: what the IV rush is, how COST's looks, and what holding through it has cost.

Avg move (10Y)

±3.9%

peak earnings-day move

COST live implied move & 10Y history → · COST stock after earnings → · Who is on the IV Rush Radar this week → · How the IV rush trade works →

What holding COST options through the print actually cost

The clearest way to see IV crush: an at-the-money straddle bought one minute before the last close before Costco's report, marked at 10:00 the next morning. Both legs together — so this is the premium lost even after the stock moved:

Report	ATM straddle, last close → 10am next day
Mar 6, 2025	+51%
Dec 12, 2024	-66%
Sep 26, 2024	-82%
May 30, 2024	-86%
Mar 7, 2024	+10%
Dec 14, 2023	+6%
Sep 26, 2023	-8%
May 25, 2023	+11%
Dec 8, 2022	-50%
Sep 22, 2022	-82%
May 26, 2022	+6%
Dec 9, 2021	+34%
Sep 23, 2021	-8%
May 27, 2021	-7%
Dec 10, 2020	-63%
Sep 24, 2020	-76%
May 28, 2020	-72%
Dec 12, 2019	-33%

Out-of-the-money strangles lost more. Members see every strike and the same figures for the reports the radar tracks.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I buy COST before earnings?

That is a decision only you can make, and this page does not give advice. What the data says: options price a move of about ±3.9% on average, so a long call or put needs Costco to move more than that in the right direction to profit after IV crush.

Does COST implied volatility go up before earnings?

Typically yes: implied volatility in the nearest expiration builds as the report approaches because the event's expected move is priced into that expiration, then collapses once results are out.

When does COST IV peak before earnings?

At the last close before the report — the final session before the print carries the biggest step for most names, which is why an IV-rush trade is exited before that close and never held through the announcement.

What is COST's implied move for the next earnings?

The next Costco report is not confirmed yet. Its 10-year average earnings move is about ±3.9%; the live implied move appears on the COST implied-move page as soon as the date is set.