Company: COST
Filing Date: 2025-12-04
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000909832-25-000159
Chunk: 5

Company: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
Filing Date: 2025-12-04
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 5
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 goals, and the assumptions upon

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which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this Proxy Statement. They generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” "likely," “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K and 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

#### PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Directors are elected annually for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of shareholders. The Board has not nominated individuals to fill two vacancies on the Board created by the recent retirements of two of our directors (Richard Galanti and Craig Jelinek) at last year's Shareholders meeting. Vacancies on the Board, including these vacancies and any vacancies created by an increase in the number of directors, may be filled by the Board for a term continuing until the next election of directors by the shareholders following a recommendation to