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

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have assigned a hold recommendation and twenty-two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,056.3214.

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $954.27 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,007.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $963.04. The company has a market capitalization of $423.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.00, a PEG ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.72% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale will post 20.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported robust fiscal Q3 results, including double-digit sales growth, strong comparable sales, and continued strength in memberships and digital operations, which supports the long-term investment case. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said Costco’s value strategy, membership growth, and fuel business continue to support sales momentum, reinforcing confidence in the company’s operating model. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s strong traffic trends and larger baskets, suggesting the company is still gaining share with shoppers even as the stock weakens. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s record gas sales and surprisingly strong protein sales show continued demand across key categories, which may help offset concerns about slower overall momentum. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple market commentaries say Costco is attracting heavy investor attention after earnings, but the stock remains stuck in a post-results pullback as traders weigh the next catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note that Costco’s stock has failed to rally after its strong quarter, implying investors may already have high expectations priced in. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Costco was downgraded in a blue-chip rankings update, adding to the cautious tone around the shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and other analysts suggested Costco could have done better, reinforcing concerns that the market expected even more from the latest report. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage says COST is falling despite record-breaking gas sales, underscoring that investors are focusing on valuation and the post-earnings setup rather than the headline growth. Article Title

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.