Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Receives Neutral Rating from DA Davidson

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reiterated by stock analysts at DA Davidson in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,000.00 target price on the retailer’s stock. DA Davidson’s price target points to a potential upside of 0.35% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Hovde Group started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Mizuho boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,026.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST traded up $13.96 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $996.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 933,270 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,423,697. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $959.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $935.92. The stock has a market cap of $442.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.38, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hurley Capital LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat or matched expectations: EPS $4.58 and revenue ~$69.6B with comparable-store sales strength, rising membership fees and improved margins — evidence the membership model and holiday demand held up. Costco beats quarterly comparable sales estimates (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and cash metrics look strong: digital sales rose ~22.6% and the company reported higher operating cash and a larger cash balance — positive for growth optionality and buyback/capex flexibility. Costco digital innovations fuel online growth (PYMNTS)
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support remains mixed but includes bullish convictions — BTIG reaffirmed a Buy with a $1,115 target (much higher than the current price), showing some analysts remain constructive on upside. BTIG reaffirms Buy on Costco (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion continues: new locations (reports on Viva White Oak and Port St. Lucie) signal ongoing capital deployment and footprint growth, a long‑term growth driver but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco coming to Viva White Oak (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction cooled the stock: several outlets note COST slipped in after‑hours/pre‑market trading despite the beat — investors appear to be taking profits after recent gains or reacting to mixed signals in the print. Stock falls pre-market despite strong earnings (Blockonomi)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst nuance: Truist raised its price target to $977 but kept a “Hold” rating — the new target sits below recent trade, signaling some analysts view the stock as fairly valued and may cap near-term upside. Truist raises price target to $977 (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Other headwinds: notable insider selling and mixed institutional repositioning were reported around the quarter, and broader market pressure from an oil-driven futures drop is weighing on retail names today. QuiverQuant summary: earnings, insider/institutional activity

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.