Brokerages Set Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target at $992.08

Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-four brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation and twenty-one have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $996.00.

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $924.88 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $892.58 and a 200-day moving average of $931.47. Costco Wholesale has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The company has a market cap of $410.53 billion, a PE ratio of 49.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 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: Company-released December sales: net sales of $29.86B (up 8.5% yr/yr) and companywide comps +7.0%, with digitally-enabled sales up ~19%. This is the primary driver for the bullish move. Costco Reports December Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: E-commerce acceleration: online/digitally-enabled sales jumped ~18–19% in December, boosting margins and omnichannel momentum that investors favor. Costco Stock Jumps as Online Sales Growth Reaches 18% in December
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and upgrades (Mizuho, Deutsche Bank mentions, Telsey reaffirming outperform) are lifting sentiment and providing upside to price targets. Costco Upgraded at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: Political/tariff developments: betting markets and reports increasingly price in relief from new tariffs — a potential tailwind for Costco’s import-heavy model. Betting Markets Predict 75% Chance Supreme Court Blocks Trump Tariffs
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion: city-level site news (Greenbrier Mall) signals ongoing real-estate pipeline but is not material yet to national results. Costco Could Be Coming to Greenbrier Mall
• Neutral Sentiment: Street commentary: portfolio managers and media guests (Wall Street Alliance video backing Costco) highlight execution focus — supportive but not a direct earnings catalyst. Aadil Zaman Backs Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: outlets warn Costco trades near elevated multiples after years of outperformance, suggesting limited upside if growth slows — a short-term headwind for multiples. How Retailer Costco Can Drop
• Negative Sentiment: Media critique: high-profile commentator Jim Cramer said COST “should be repudiated this quarter,” which can amplify short-term selling despite longer-term bullish data. Jim Cramer: Costco Should be Repudiated

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.