Costco Wholesale’s (COST) “Outperform” Rating Reiterated at Telsey Advisory Group

Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed their outperform rating on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,100.00 target price on the retailer’s stock.

Several other analysts have also commented on COST. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price objective for the company. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Nineteen research 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.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $854.50 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $379.29 billion, a PE ratio of 45.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business’s 50-day moving average is $894.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $934.32. Costco Wholesale has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. 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 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock valued at $8,175,048. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Birchbrook Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 456 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the second quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the second quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Busey Bank increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in 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: Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100 price target on COST, signaling material upside vs. current levels and giving investors a bullish anchor. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat includes Costco among five high‑quality stocks to own in 2026, highlighting Costco’s “premium defensive” positioning, steady membership income, and mid‑teens historical EPS compounding—support for longer‑term investor demand. Beyond the Santa Claus Rally—5 Quality Stocks to Buy in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Costco is taking steps to open two new Ontario locations, which supports longer‑run membership and sales growth in Canada. Costco takes steps to open two new locations in Ontario
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer‑facing coverage (holiday hours, product roundups, “3 things to know” pieces) reminds retail customers and investors of Costco’s brand strength but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. 3 Things to Know About Costco Stock Before You Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Practical holiday coverage (e.g., New Year’s Day hours) and product arrival lists attract shoppers but are not catalysts for the stock. Is Costco open or closed on New Year’s Day 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect December comps to slow (consensus ~2.2% same‑store sales), and a December sales update due Jan. 7 could confirm softer near‑term trends—this is the primary immediate downside risk for the stock. Is Costco Cooling Off? Why December Sales Growth Might Look Slower
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Javier Polit sold significant blocks of shares in late‑December (SEC Form 4 filings), which can weigh on sentiment because investors sometimes read large insider sales as profit taking. SEC Form 4 – Javier Polit
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation sensitivity: COST trades at an elevated multiple (P/E mid‑40s), so the stock is vulnerable to downside if growth decelerates or macro conditions deteriorate. Market data & valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/shrink risk: recent reports of cargo thefts tied to food shipments underscore logistics exposures that could add cost or cause isolated supply disruptions. Oysters, crab and $400,000 worth of lobster meat stolen in New England

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.