Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Up 2.1% After Analyst Upgrade

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)’s stock price rose 2.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after Northcoast Research upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. Northcoast Research now has a $1,100.00 price target on the stock. Costco Wholesale traded as high as $876.00 and last traded at $872.75. Approximately 1,819,503 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 22% from the average daily volume of 2,343,427 shares. The stock had previously closed at $854.79.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on COST. Sanford C. Bernstein increased 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 report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price 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. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $992.08.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 approximately $6,410,343.68. The trade was a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 9,720 shares of company stock valued at $9,010,257 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stores Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast Research upgraded COST from Neutral to Buy and set a $1,100 price target (roughly +26% upside vs. current levels), a direct catalyst for upside by raising institutional conviction. Northcoast upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Long-form bullish takes argue Costco can be a “multimillionaire-maker” thanks to steady membership renewals, expanding store footprint and resilient consumer demand — messaging that supports a buy-and-hold thesis. Is Costco Stock a Multimillionaire Maker?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces and listicles are pitching Costco as a compelling 2026 investment (membership economics, margin resilience, steady comps), reinforcing demand from long-term retail investors. 4 Reasons You Should Invest in Costco Stock in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s Quality ranking moved higher after a Q1 beat and its public stance on tariff/legal issues — positive signals for fundamentals and investor confidence. Costco Tops Quality Rankings Amid Q1 Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday-store-hour coverage (Christmas Eve/Day) is driving local traffic/volume questions but is not a material company fundamental change; useful for short-term foot-traffic monitoring. Is Costco open or closed on Christmas Day 2025?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparisons (Walmart vs. Costco) and general retail commentary are circulating; they provide context but not immediate directional pressure on COST. Walmart vs. Costco
• Negative Sentiment: BJ’s Wholesale Club is pursuing a major expansion in Texas, signaling intensifying competition in key markets that could pressure margins or market share in the long run. BJ’s challenges Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysis notes COST has been a “surprising loser” this year despite solid fundamentals, a narrative that can weigh on sentiment and explain profit-taking into the year-end. Where Will Costco Stock Be in 3 Years?

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Triumph Capital Management raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 36.9% in the 3rd quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 408 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finivi Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Finivi Inc. now owns 3,726 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,449,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. AIA Group Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.5% in the third quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 22,322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $20,662,000 after purchasing an additional 5,345 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 6,537 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,051,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the third quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 1,152 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,066,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $387.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.75, a PEG ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s fifty day moving average is $903.64 and its 200 day moving average is $940.47. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

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.