**BJ's Wholesale Club Shares Surge Following Earnings Beat and Membership Fee Hike Announcement**

BJ's Wholesale Club experienced a notable increase in its share price on Thursday after reporting third-quarter earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations. Additionally, the retailer revealed its first membership fee hike in seven years and announced a new stock buyback plan.

The earnings report showed $5.1 billion in revenue for the recent quarter, marking a 3% increase compared to the previous year. Although this figure was slightly below the $5.11 billion forecasted by analysts, BJ's still demonstrated strong financial performance. Net income rose significantly by nearly 20% year-over-year, reaching $155.75 million, which exceeded the anticipated $124.09 million.

Comparable store sales climbed by 1.5%, just shy of the 1.6% growth analysts had predicted. This growth was partly influenced by shoppers stocking up in anticipation of potential supply disruptions due to a port strike that commenced over the summer and was paused in October.

Starting January 1, BJ's will increase its membership fees to $60 for its standard Club membership and $120 for the Club+ tier, which offers a wider array of discounts and rewards. This fee adjustment mirrors a similar move by competitor Costco, who also implemented their first increase in seven years in September.

In addition to the membership fee hike, BJ's board approved a new $1 billion stock buyback program, set to replace the existing one expiring in January, and will be effective through January 2029.

For the full fiscal year, BJ's raised its forecast for comparable sales growth, excluding gasoline sales, to a range of 2.3% to 2.4%, up from a previous estimate of 1% to 2%. The company also adjusted its expected full-year earnings per share (EPS) to be between $3.90 and $4.00, an increase from the previous range of $3.75 to $4.00.

Following these announcements, BJ's shares surged over 6% in early trading on Thursday, reaching $91.42.