Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) has been a dependable market outperformer for years. Investors love its reliable growth and robust profitability, and it even pays a dividend. It performs well in good times, and sometimes even better in rough times.

Costco stock is up about 44% over the past year, or about double the S&P 500's rise. It has a market cap of $320 billion right now. Can it become a trillion-dollar stock by 2030?

Costco operates a fee-based membership model that breeds loyalty, high volume, and profits. Customers pay an annual fee that goes straight to the bottom line, and Costco marks up products with razor-thin margins to cover related costs. When shoppers are penny-pinching, they're more likely to shop there. Even so, sales have been pressured because customers are delaying large and expensive purchases. When they're not, they're spending on higher-priced items, leading to higher sales.

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Source Fool.com