Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $1,200.00 at Bank of America

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its price objective boosted by Bank of America from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the retailer’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on COST. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Gordon Haskett increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.32.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $956.32 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $424.27 billion, a PE ratio of 49.73, a P/E/G ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,007.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $962.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.98 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.68 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in 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 in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted strong third-quarter results, with revenue of $70.53 billion topping estimates and same-store sales rising 9.8%, showing that members are still spending on essentials and value-focused purchases.
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline sales were a standout, with Costco’s gas stations setting all-time or record volume levels as drivers sought lower-priced fuel amid elevated energy costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth and membership strength continued to support results, helping offset margin pressure and reinforcing Costco’s value-driven model.
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets or reiterated bullish ratings, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Bernstein, BTIG, and Morgan Stanley, signaling confidence in Costco’s long-term fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a neutral rating with a $1,000 target, suggesting modest upside but not a strong catalyst for a re-rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco said it will return U.S. tariff refunds to members “in some form,” which may help customer loyalty but does not yet provide a clear financial boost.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 missed consensus by a small margin, and investors appear focused on the earnings shortfall more than the sales beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher costs and a premium valuation have prompted some traders to sell after the report, limiting enthusiasm despite the strong top-line performance.

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.