Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Coverage Initiated at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Equities researchers at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday. The firm set a “buy” rating on the retailer’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on COST. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. BTIG Research started 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. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $994.08.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded up $44.01 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $926.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,162,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,480,774. 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 one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $411.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.65, a P/E/G ratio of 5.33 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $892.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $932.63.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 8,946 shares of company stock valued at $8,175,048 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,124,263,000 after acquiring an additional 150,844 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company sales and comps: Costco reported December net sales of $29.86B, up 8.5% year-over-year, with broad-based comparable-sales gains across the U.S., Canada and international markets and digitally-enabled sales up ~19%. This underpins near-term revenue momentum and global growth. Costco Reports December Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Several firms reiterated bullish ratings and high price targets — Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an Outperform with a $1,100 target, J.P. Morgan maintained Buy with a $1,000 target, and Mizuho upgraded the stock recently. These actions signal continued conviction among sell‑side analysts about Costco’s long-term growth and justify upside estimates. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirmation J.P. Morgan Rating Mizuho Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: International and e‑commerce strength: Coverage notes that international stores and digitally-enabled sales are meaningful contributors to December growth, supporting margin and expansion narratives. MSN: International Stores Boost December Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer noted the trust trimmed some Costco shares but stopped short of selling the remainder, calling the company “too good” to fully exit — a mixed signal (profit-taking vs. long-term quality). Jim Cramer Comment
• Neutral Sentiment: Expansion / logistics: New distribution-center openings and positive results from some international markets (e.g., Costco NZ returning to profit) support the growth story but are incremental to core U.S. performance. Distribution Center Opening
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and mixed institutional moves: Data reported sizable insider sales over recent months and large institutional portfolio rebalances (big adds and big trims), which can signal near-term distribution and pressure on the stock. Quiver / Institutional Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Local litigation & valuation concerns: A lawsuit seeks to block a new Paramus store — a small but tangible development risk — while the stock still trades at a premium valuation (high P/E and recent multiple expansion), which can provoke profit‑taking and limit upside near term. Paramus Lawsuit

About Costco Wholesale

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.