Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Hits New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday after UBS Group raised their price target on the stock from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Costco Wholesale traded as high as $1,096.50 and last traded at $1,094.32, with a volume of 2851390 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $1,076.47.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Costco heading into its Q3 update, with UBS raising its price target and reiterating a buy rating, citing expectations for another solid quarter and continued membership-driven resilience.
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Costco’s strong 2026 run, including fresh all-time highs, continued expansion, and investor interest in the stock as a high-quality defensive retailer with steady renewal trends.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming holiday trading hours and broader market comments are not company-specific, but they keep Costco in a generally supportive market backdrop as the Nasdaq and S&P 500 remain near record levels. Stock Market To Close For Memorial Day. Here Are Wall Street’s Holiday Hours.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains a focal point for traders ahead of earnings, with preview pieces suggesting expectations are already elevated and that the company may need only steady results, not a blowout, to support the stock. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is falling largely in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, raising concerns that consumer spending is more pressured than expected and dragging on other big-box retailers. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart’s Q1 Report: What’s Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader articles also point to Costco’s rich valuation and high expectations ahead of earnings, which could limit upside if the company merely meets forecasts rather than significantly beats them.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $466.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.63, a PEG ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $1,007.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $959.65.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.58%.

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.