Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Now Covered by Bank of America

Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a research report issued on Friday. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the retailer’s stock. Bank of America‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 20.09% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,014.39.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $986.74 on Friday. 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 has a fifty day simple moving average of $945.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $935.19. Costco Wholesale has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a market capitalization of $437.98 billion, a PE ratio of 52.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Oak Grove Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC now owns 19,398 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,728,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 8,475 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,309,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. BDFS Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $681,000. Banque Transatlantique SA grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 211,962 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $183,569,000 after acquiring an additional 6,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tempo Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $3,949,000. 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: Citi raised its price target on COST to $1,000 (from $990), signaling stronger analyst conviction and giving investors a near-term valuation catalyst. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is adding more big brands and cutting prices on select items — a move likely to lift store traffic and membership value, supporting same-store sales momentum. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Positive Sentiment: New-store approvals (Lawrence and Southborough) continue Costco’s measured footprint growth, which can drive long-term revenue and membership growth in underpenetrated markets. A new Costco will be built in Lawrence — the city’s first. Here’s what to know
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s legal push to recoup tariffs and simultaneous investments in digital tools (membership scanning, digital wallet) create upside: successful tariff refunds would be a one-time cash boost, while digital rollout supports long-term operational efficiency. How Investors May Respond To Costco Wholesale (COST) Tariff Refund Lawsuits And Digital Expansion Investments
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and sector notes (Zacks, Motley Fool/TipRanks) highlight valuation reset, renewal-rate focus and defensive positioning — useful context but not immediate catalysts. Costco and 3 More Discount Retail Stocks Investors Should Watch Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/marketing updates (new food-court item) and analyst scenario pieces are positive for engagement but are modest, incremental drivers of traffic. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Negative Sentiment: Costco notified Hawaii members of a Yakitori fried rice recall — a localized food-safety issue that could create short-term costs and reputational noise, though likely limited in scale. Costco notifies Hawaii members of Yakitori fried rice recall

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.