Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) rose 1.3% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $937.04 and last traded at $935.8490. 1,801,818 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 18% from the average session volume of 2,197,591 shares. The stock had previously closed at $923.52.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital sales reached more than $33 billion in fiscal 2026, with faster delivery, personalization and AI-powered search potentially supporting continued e-commerce growth. Costco’s Digital Sales Top $33 Billion: Can E-commerce Keep Scaling?
• Positive Sentiment: AI shopping agents frequently cite Costco and Walmart, indicating strong brand visibility and potential to attract additional online customers as AI-driven commerce develops. Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s 84.1 million paid members and 92.3% U.S. and Canada renewal rate reinforce its recurring-revenue model and competitive moat. Analysts also maintain a generally favorable view, with brokerages assigning an average “Moderate Buy” rating. Is Costco’s Moat Really Worth the Premium? Costco Receives Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Costco’s September sales report, scheduled for October 7 after the market close. The results could provide the next major catalyst for the stock. Why Telsey Still Likes Costco Ahead of September Sales Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Speculation is building that Costco could issue a special dividend later this year as its cash balance grows, although no payout has been announced. Costco’s Cash Pile Keeps Building
• Negative Sentiment: Despite continued revenue, profit and membership growth, Costco has trailed the S&P 500 recently. Commentary questions whether the shares are genuinely inexpensive after a decline from their record, particularly given a roughly 45-times earnings valuation. Is Costco Too Cheap to Pass Up?
• Negative Sentiment: A recent rating downgrade argues that Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for further gains, potentially restraining investor enthusiasm. Costco: Where Does the Stock Go From Here?
• Negative Sentiment: Price reductions on Kirkland Signature products may strengthen member value and competitiveness, but could also pressure merchandise margins if the discounts persist. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Price Cuts Aim to Widen the Value Moat

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $932.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $964.21. The company has a market cap of $415.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of COST. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th 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. Palisade Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its position 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 in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.