Evercore ISI Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Evercore ISI from $1,025.00 to $1,050.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the retailer’s stock. Evercore ISI’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.45% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Hovde Group started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. BTIG Research began 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 target for the company. Raymond James Financial reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $995.73 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $441.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.14, a P/E/G ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $916.32 and its 200 day moving average is $930.88.

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

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the third quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,104,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

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.