Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) traded 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 were traded during trading, an increase of 104% from the average session volume of 2,206,327 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,046.47.
Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Freedom Broker lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. HSBC raised Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 30th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,090.55.
View Our Latest Analysis on Costco Wholesale
Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale
In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’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 owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Costco Wholesale News Summary
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
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $952.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $972.49. The company has a market cap of $466.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement
The business 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 dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. 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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