Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Up 2.1% – Time to Buy?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) shares traded up 2.1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $1,009.21 and last traded at $998.86. 2,961,830 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 11% from the average session volume of 2,660,325 shares. The stock had previously closed at $978.14.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets or reiterated bullish views, supporting the rally — Evercore ISI boosted its price target to $1,050. Evercore ISI Boosts Costco Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein lifted its target to $1,155 and kept an Outperform, citing resilience in the quarter and positioning COST as a Roth-IRA candidate — a bullish endorsement that can attract long-term money. Bernstein Boosts Costco Target
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan commentary flagged upside to the stock, reinforcing buy-side confidence and likely contributing to intraday buying pressure. JPMorgan Says COST Expected to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Industry and market write-ups emphasize Costco’s long-term growth profile and YTD momentum, which can sustain investor interest (articles discuss whether COST can reach $1,200 and highlight growth scores). Can Costco Stock Hit $1,200?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate persists — Zacks notes Costco trades at a high multiple (forward P/E ~46x) and recommends a “hold” for some investors despite solid comps and renewal/digital trends. This tempers upside for value-sensitive funds. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports in the feed show an anomalous “large increase” but list zero shares and a 0.0 days ratio — the data appears unreliable and should not be over-interpreted; low reported short interest would be supportive if accurate. (Data timestamp Feb 11–12.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer-interest pieces (e.g., members impressed by regional store features) boost brand sentiment but are unlikely to move results materially in the short term. Members in Awe of Regional Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued a recall of mini beignets over an undeclared hazelnut allergen across multiple states — a reputational and operational nuisance; typically a modest financial hit but worth monitoring for broader food-safety headlines. Costco Recalls Mini Beignets

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.1%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $918.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $931.46. The company has a market cap of $443.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.