Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Given New $977.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its price objective lifted by analysts at Truist Financial from $926.00 to $977.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the retailer’s stock. Truist Financial’s price target points to a potential downside of 0.57% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,019.10.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $982.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $436.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $959.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $935.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.51 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Bank boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,787,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results topped Street views: Costco reported $4.58 EPS and ~$69.6B revenue (both up year‑over‑year), with comparable‑store sales and membership income rising — a core validation of its membership model that supports longer‑term cash flow and margin expansion. Costco Earnings Beat Expectations as Membership Model Shines
• Positive Sentiment: Online and digital initiatives are accelerating: management cited ~22.6% e‑commerce growth and in‑store/digital integration gains, which help diversify growth beyond warehouse traffic. This supports upside to sales/memberships over time. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Tariff‑refund comments: CEO said any government tariff refunds would be returned to members via lower prices — good for member value but ambiguous for near‑term margins and investor math on realized cash benefits. Costco CEO says any tariff refunds it gets will flow back to members
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market context is mixed but generally constructive: several firms maintain buy/outperform views and elevated price targets (median targets remain above current levels), tempering downside even as near‑term volatility persists. COST Earnings: Costco Stock Little Changed after Beating
• Negative Sentiment: Local expansion uncertainty: Asheville officials say Costco may reconsider a proposed store after the city sought funding, introducing potential delays or lost growth opportunities in that market. Store openings can drive local sales and membership gains; delays matter to incremental growth assumptions. Asheville mayor says Costco may reconsider after city seeks funding
• Negative Sentiment: Some metrics vs. third‑party estimates were mixed: third‑party summaries noted revenue/EPS beat but a smaller cushion versus some higher estimates, and QuiverQuant flagged instances where consensus comparison showed a tighter margin — contributing to muted investor reaction. QuiverQuant: Revenue and EPS rise YoY but miss some estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market headwinds: oil‑driven spikes and weaker futures pressured the market broadly, which can weigh on high‑multiple consumer names like Costco even when company fundamentals look strong. Dow Jones Futures Fall As Oil Keeps Surging

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.