Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-four analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have given a hold recommendation and twenty-two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,039.1333.

Several analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,364,888,000 after buying an additional 1,377,328 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently 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: New Kirkland Signature product launches and continued private-label innovation should support traffic and margins. Costco adds Kirkland Signature items. See what’s new
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion into standalone fuel sites (first standalone gas station opening by late June) expands convenience offerings and non-dues revenue, a potential long-term win vs. c-store rivals. Costco’s first standalone gas station to open by late June
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups argue Costco deserves a premium multiple given its business model, pricing power, membership loyalty and long-term growth runway — supportive for sentiment among buy-and-hold investors. 3 Reasons Costco Stock Deserves to Trade at a Sky-High Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s “winning the price war” narrative reinforces defensive/consumer-staples demand during inflationary periods. Costco proves it’s winning the price war
• Neutral Sentiment: A TipRanks piece balances upside (~11% noted) with worries about the future of physical retail — may keep some investors cautious but doesn’t change revenue fundamentals immediately. Costco Stock Forecast: Can COST Keep Up amid Worries about the Future of Retail Stores?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/features asking “Is it too late to buy?” reflect the stock’s rich multi-year gains and high valuation — ongoing debate that can limit fresh inflows until clearer catalysts appear. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Strong Multi Year Share Gains?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data shows no meaningful short position / days-to-cover change, so short-pressure is not a driver of today’s move. (Entry data provided internally.)
• Negative Sentiment: A small product recall (meatloaf meal) and press around potential membership price increases could create short-term sales or PR noise and give cautious traders a reason to trim positions. Costco Recalls Meatloaf Meal Over Possible Salmonella Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/competitive risks — reports on tariff moves, energy-price volatility and aggressive promotions from peers (e.g., Target) raise concerns about margin pressure and cost passthrough, which can depress sentiment for retail stocks including COST. Trump tariffs live updates

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $974.78 on Friday. Costco Wholesale has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $983.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $938.37. The company has a market cap of $432.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.69, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

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.