Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Given “Buy” Rating at TD Cowen

TD Cowen reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. TD Cowen currently has a $1,175.00 price target on the retailer’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on COST. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Gordon Haskett boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

COST opened at $961.83 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $426.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.38, a P/E/G ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,006.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $963.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.72%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given 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 boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Palisade Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported robust May sales growth, with net sales up 14.5% year over year and strong comparable sales across key geographies, signaling healthy demand and execution. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remained constructive, with TD Cowen reaffirming a Buy rating and lifting its price target to $1,175, suggesting more upside if Costco keeps delivering on sales and memberships. Benzinga coverage of TD Cowen rating
• Positive Sentiment: Articles highlighted Costco’s accelerating growth drivers, including stronger digital demand, membership income, and traffic, which support the long-term bullish case for the stock. 3 Compelling Costco Growth Drivers You Might Not Know About
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices may be driving more traffic to Costco fuel stations, helping boost store visits and supporting the warehouse club’s value proposition. Costco gets surprising lift from an everyday expense

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.