Costco Wins Appeal in Gender Bias Case

Costco Wholesale Corp won a federal appeals court decision that blocks women who accused the company of gender bias from suing as a group.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco returned the case to a lower court, saying it ``must consider whether the claims for various forms of monetary relief will require individual determinations.''

Friday's ruling came three months after the U.S. Supreme Court barred current and former female employees at Wal-Mart Stores Inc from suing that retailer together in a nationwide class action.

Costco's appeal of the January 2007 class certification in its case had been put on hold pending the outcome of the Wal-Mart case. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)