Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Has Consensus Price Target of $1,086.19 According to Analysts

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-four brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,086.19.

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. HSBC upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. CICC Research began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price objective on the stock. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported October net sales of $24.50 billion, up 12.6% year over year. The solid growth supports the view that customer demand and the warehouse model remain healthy. Costco reports October sales results
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s defensive reputation and loyal membership base may appeal to investors seeking stability in uncertain markets, though this is not a new company-specific catalyst. Costco’s capital-preservation role
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary warns that COST’s valuation already reflects substantial optimism. With shares above $1,000 and a rich earnings multiple, the stock may be vulnerable if earnings growth does not justify expectations; the company’s healthcare initiatives have not removed that concern. Costco stock valuation and healthcare push

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,046.47 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $463.72 billion, a PE ratio of 50.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $947.85 and a 200-day moving average of $971.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Costco Wholesale has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $2,362,188,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $726,689,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.