The University of Missouri-Kansas City will bestow its Entrepreneur of the Year award onto Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal, at a special ceremony this fall, according to published reports.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $9.67 billion for the month of March, the five weeks ended April 7, 2013, an increase of 7% from $9.07 billion during the similar period last year.

Best Buy, Costco, Petco and four other retailers were among a group of 145 companies identified as the World’s Most Ethical companies by Ethisphere.

Costco Wholesale Corp. will expand its Issaquah, Wash., headquarters, according to a regional news reports.

Second quarter sales increased 8% to $24.3 billion and profits, aided by a sizable tax benefit, increased 39% to $547 million, or $1.24 a share.

Costco reported net sales of $7.58 billion for the month of February, an increase of 8% from $7.01 billion during the similar period last year.

Jewelry maker Tiffany & Co. is suing Costco Wholesale, alleging that the club retailer falsely marketed diamond engagement rings as coming from the New York-based jeweler, according to published reports.

January same store sales grew 4% at Costco’s U.S. locations excluding fuel sales.

Nineteen of the nation’s leading retail and CPG companies received perfect scores on the 2013 Corporate Equality Index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign.

Growth in sales and membership income at Costco helped the company produce earnings per share of 95 cents and beat analysts’ estimates by two cents.

Same store sales in November at Target plunged unexpectedly while apparel discounters and Costco kept humming and Kroger extended its string of consecutive comp increases to nine years.

Costco will pay a $7 a share special dividend before year end as it looks to return cash to shareholders in advance of what is expected to be a 2013 tax increase on dividend payments.