DA Davidson Reaffirms “Neutral” Rating for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at DA Davidson in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $1,000.00 price target on the retailer’s stock. DA Davidson’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 0.35% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,026.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of COST traded up $13.96 on Friday, hitting $996.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 933,270 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,423,697. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $959.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $935.92. Costco Wholesale has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.38, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

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

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat or matched expectations: EPS $4.58 and revenue ~$69.6B with comparable-store sales strength, rising membership fees and improved margins — evidence the membership model and holiday demand held up. Costco beats quarterly comparable sales estimates (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and cash metrics look strong: digital sales rose ~22.6% and the company reported higher operating cash and a larger cash balance — positive for growth optionality and buyback/capex flexibility. Costco digital innovations fuel online growth (PYMNTS)
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support remains mixed but includes bullish convictions — BTIG reaffirmed a Buy with a $1,115 target (much higher than the current price), showing some analysts remain constructive on upside. BTIG reaffirms Buy on Costco (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion continues: new locations (reports on Viva White Oak and Port St. Lucie) signal ongoing capital deployment and footprint growth, a long‑term growth driver but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco coming to Viva White Oak (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction cooled the stock: several outlets note COST slipped in after‑hours/pre‑market trading despite the beat — investors appear to be taking profits after recent gains or reacting to mixed signals in the print. Stock falls pre-market despite strong earnings (Blockonomi)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst nuance: Truist raised its price target to $977 but kept a “Hold” rating — the new target sits below recent trade, signaling some analysts view the stock as fairly valued and may cap near-term upside. Truist raises price target to $977 (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Other headwinds: notable insider selling and mixed institutional repositioning were reported around the quarter, and broader market pressure from an oil-driven futures drop is weighing on retail names today. QuiverQuant summary: earnings, insider/institutional activity

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.