FY2026 Earnings Estimate for COST Issued By Erste Group Bank

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2026 EPS estimates for Costco Wholesale in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the retailer will earn $20.52 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $20.49. The consensus estimate for Costco Wholesale’s current full-year earnings is $20.38 per share.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on COST. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $945.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $419.34 billion, a PE ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $977.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $977.80.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second 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 during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 earnings estimate for Costco, reinforcing expectations that the retailer can deliver stronger-than-expected profit growth. Costco Wholesale Corporation analysts raise FY2026 EPS estimate
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to benefit from strong member demand and expanding product breadth, including third-party brands launching high-protein items through its stores, which supports traffic and sales momentum. Borealis Foods expands access to protein-rich Chef Woo noodles through Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles highlighted Costco’s upcoming July 24 ex-dividend date and August 7 payment date, which may attract income-focused investors but is not a major fundamental catalyst by itself. Costco dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around Costco’s valuation remains mixed, with some market coverage saying the stock still looks expensive after a strong multi-year run, which could limit upside enthusiasm. Costco stock still looks overvalued article
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage of a recalled Costco plant product and related recall response may weigh slightly on sentiment, though this looks more like a product-specific issue than a broad operating problem. Recalled Costco product poses big threat

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.