Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) was up 1.8% on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Costco Wholesale traded as high as $1,081.55 and last traded at $1,065.59. 4,493,747 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 104% from the average daily volume of 2,206,327 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,046.47.
Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 30th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,090.55.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Key Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco reported October net sales of $24.50 billion, up 12.6% year over year. U.S. comparable sales rose 8.1% excluding gasoline-price changes, while digital growth also accelerated—evidence of continued customer demand. Costco’s October Net Sales Jump 12.6% as Digital Growth Accelerates
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $1,150 from $1,015 and maintained an overweight rating. Bank of America also kept its buy rating following the stronger U.S. comparable-sales results. JPMorgan price-target update Costco retains BofA buy as October U.S. comps rise
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage points to solid share-price momentum, supported by a string of earnings beats, but investors may be watching whether earnings growth can justify the stock’s valuation. Costco Stock: Earnings Growth Could Shape the Next Big Move
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a key risk: reports cite a trailing P/E near 49, leaving limited room for disappointment, while earnings revisions have raised concerns. Citi maintained a hold rating with a $1,020 target, reflecting a more cautious view than JPMorgan’s. Costco Stock: Why Analysts Are Split Despite Strong October Sales
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,781,946,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $2,362,188,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $726,689,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Price Performance
The stock has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $952.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $972.49.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.
Costco Wholesale Company Profile
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.
The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.
Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
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