Costco pulled back the curtain on its real-estate empire as it announced fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday while marking two milestone anniversaries—the 40th year of its famously inflation-proof $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combo and Kirkland Signature’s 30th birthday. The Issaquah, Wash.-based wholesaling giant’s expansion remains robust. In the fourth quarter alone, Costco opened 10 new warehouses, and it opened 27 over the full year, including three relocations, for a global total of 914. CEO Ron Vachris t ...