Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Here’s Why

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)’s share price traded up 1.3% on Monday. The company traded as high as $960.74 and last traded at $959.44. 1,464,697 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 33% from the average daily volume of 2,188,857 shares. The stock had previously closed at $946.92.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales growth: Costco reported September net sales of approximately $30.02 billion, up 13.0% year over year. Comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects increased 7.6%, accelerating from 5.4% in August and signaling resilient consumer demand. Costco Wholesale Posts 13% September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital business remains a growth driver: September digital sales rose 19%, supported by expanded delivery options and more personalized shopping. Continued e-commerce momentum could help Costco broaden sales beyond its warehouse traffic and sustain fiscal 2026 growth. Costco’s 19% September Digital Sales Growth Signals Strong Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlights Costco’s history of recovering from sizable pullbacks, dividend growth of 86% over five years, and potential for future special dividends. RBC also reaffirmed its Sector Perform rating. Costco Stock Is 14% Below Its Record
• Neutral Sentiment: Gas prices create mixed effects: Higher gasoline prices can lift reported sales at Costco fuel stations, while cheaper gas could reduce that revenue contribution but potentially leave consumers with more money for warehouse purchases. What Cheaper Gas Would Mean for Costco’s Sales and Margins
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation limits room for disappointment: Costco trades at roughly 45.6 times earnings, more than twice the S&P 500 multiple. Investors may therefore require continued above-market growth, making the stock vulnerable if sales momentum or margins weaken.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $930.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $963.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market cap of $425.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.22, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the period. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $9,300,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares in the last quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 15.0% during the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

About Costco Wholesale

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.