FY2027 Earnings Forecast for COST Issued By Erste Group Bank

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Costco Wholesale in a research note issued on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the retailer will earn $22.80 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $22.67. The consensus estimate for Costco Wholesale’s current full-year earnings is $22.85 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Costco Wholesale’s FY2028 earnings at $25.01 EPS.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on COST. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Roth Capital reissued a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $959.44 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $930.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $963.26. The company has a market capitalization of $425.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.22, a PEG ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of approximately $30.02 billion, up 13.0% year over year. The result reinforces expectations for resilient consumer demand and was a key catalyst for renewed investor interest. Costco Wholesale Posts 13% September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital momentum remains strong: September digital sales increased 19%, aided by expanded delivery options and personalization. Continued e-commerce growth provides an additional avenue for Costco to increase sales beyond its warehouse base. Costco’s September Digital Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlights Costco’s history of share-price appreciation and dividend growth. Its dividend increased substantially over the past five years, while investors continue to anticipate potential special dividends. Costco Dividend Income Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Potential warehouse expansion: Filings indicate a proposed West Oakland Costco could employ hundreds, suggesting continued investment in the company’s physical-store footprint. West Oakland Costco Employment Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Membership value is mixed: Costco’s bulk pricing can provide low per-unit costs, but the $65 annual membership and large package sizes may not benefit every household. This supports the value proposition for high-volume shoppers but offers limited evidence of a broad sales catalyst. Costco Grocery Staple Pricing Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and yield risks: COST trades at roughly 45–46 times earnings, while the 10-year Treasury yield has reached 5.2%, far above Costco’s dividend yield. Higher bond yields can make the stock less attractive to income-focused investors and increase pressure on its premium valuation. Costco Stock Versus 10-Year Treasury Yields
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel-related growth may be less durable: Higher gasoline prices have boosted reported sales at Costco’s fuel operations. If prices decline, some of the recent sales growth could fade, though cheaper gasoline could benefit household budgets and merchandise spending. Impact of Cheaper Gas on Costco Sales and Margins

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.