Brokerages Set Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target at $992.08

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-three analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $994.08.

Several research firms have commented on COST. Argus boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Gordon Haskett lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price objective for the company.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.5%

COST opened at $889.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $394.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $893.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $932.98.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $34,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Costco Wholesale News

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded COST to “outperform” and raised its price target to $1,000, giving investors a near-term upside anchor and likely supporting buying interest. COST upgraded at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: Costco expects a new Port St. Lucie distribution center to open in March 2026 — a logistics expansion that can lower fulfillment costs and improve inventory flow in Florida. Port St. Lucie distribution center
• Positive Sentiment: Costco NZ reported its first profit since 2022 (NZ$9.6m) as revenue climbed, signaling international unit economics are improving. Costco NZ posts profit
• Positive Sentiment: Member partnerships (e.g., discounted Cadillac/Volvo EV offers) and perks may boost membership value and retention — a sticky revenue driver for the warehouse model. EV discounts for members
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and coverage pieces highlight Costco’s growing digital ecosystem (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) as a compounding growth engine and referenced possible special/dividend actions, adding to bullish sentiment. Digital ecosystem article
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary bundles Costco among mega-cap “durable compounders” for 2026 — supportive longer‑term narrative but not a short‑term catalyst by itself. Why These 3 Mega-Caps Could Still Surprise
• Neutral Sentiment: high-profile investor commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer, Motley Fool lists) repeats a long-term buy thesis for COST; useful for sentiment but not an immediate fundamental change. Cramer’s Stop Trading: Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst pieces and models remain cautious: Zacks and others have published guarded near‑term earnings outlooks, calling out potential Q2 softness — a restraint on valuation. Zacks pessimistic outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Price‑target/forecast pieces note COST has pulled back from its 52‑week high and faces valuation questions; that technical/valuation pressure can limit near‑term upside. Price prediction and recent pullback

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.