Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $977.00 at Truist Financial

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its target price lifted by analysts at Truist Financial from $926.00 to $977.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the retailer’s stock. Truist Financial’s target price points to a potential downside of 0.57% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on COST. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,019.10.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $982.57 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $436.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.63, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $959.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $935.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.51 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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 value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results topped Street views: Costco reported $4.58 EPS and ~$69.6B revenue (both up year‑over‑year), with comparable‑store sales and membership income rising — a core validation of its membership model that supports longer‑term cash flow and margin expansion. Costco Earnings Beat Expectations as Membership Model Shines
• Positive Sentiment: Online and digital initiatives are accelerating: management cited ~22.6% e‑commerce growth and in‑store/digital integration gains, which help diversify growth beyond warehouse traffic. This supports upside to sales/memberships over time. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Tariff‑refund comments: CEO said any government tariff refunds would be returned to members via lower prices — good for member value but ambiguous for near‑term margins and investor math on realized cash benefits. Costco CEO says any tariff refunds it gets will flow back to members
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market context is mixed but generally constructive: several firms maintain buy/outperform views and elevated price targets (median targets remain above current levels), tempering downside even as near‑term volatility persists. COST Earnings: Costco Stock Little Changed after Beating
• Negative Sentiment: Local expansion uncertainty: Asheville officials say Costco may reconsider a proposed store after the city sought funding, introducing potential delays or lost growth opportunities in that market. Store openings can drive local sales and membership gains; delays matter to incremental growth assumptions. Asheville mayor says Costco may reconsider after city seeks funding
• Negative Sentiment: Some metrics vs. third‑party estimates were mixed: third‑party summaries noted revenue/EPS beat but a smaller cushion versus some higher estimates, and QuiverQuant flagged instances where consensus comparison showed a tighter margin — contributing to muted investor reaction. QuiverQuant: Revenue and EPS rise YoY but miss some estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market headwinds: oil‑driven spikes and weaker futures pressured the market broadly, which can weigh on high‑multiple consumer names like Costco even when company fundamentals look strong. Dow Jones Futures Fall As Oil Keeps Surging

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.