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S&P 500   5,149.42
DOW   38,790.43
QQQ   437.48
3 Large-Cap Stocks Buying Back Shares Aggressively
Semis, Nvidia Set for Big Moves as GTC Conference Kicks Off
Here’s Why Bitcoin Miners Stopped Rising With Bitcoin Prices
2 Deep Value, High Yield Stocks With a Double-Digit Upside
3 Stocks About to Boom on Unusual Call Option Volume
How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 3/18/2024
Oil Prices Up Again, Should You Buy This Time?
S&P 500   5,149.42
DOW   38,790.43
QQQ   437.48
3 Large-Cap Stocks Buying Back Shares Aggressively
Semis, Nvidia Set for Big Moves as GTC Conference Kicks Off
Here’s Why Bitcoin Miners Stopped Rising With Bitcoin Prices
2 Deep Value, High Yield Stocks With a Double-Digit Upside
3 Stocks About to Boom on Unusual Call Option Volume
How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 3/18/2024
Oil Prices Up Again, Should You Buy This Time?
S&P 500   5,149.42
DOW   38,790.43
QQQ   437.48
3 Large-Cap Stocks Buying Back Shares Aggressively
Semis, Nvidia Set for Big Moves as GTC Conference Kicks Off
Here’s Why Bitcoin Miners Stopped Rising With Bitcoin Prices
2 Deep Value, High Yield Stocks With a Double-Digit Upside
3 Stocks About to Boom on Unusual Call Option Volume
How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 3/18/2024
Oil Prices Up Again, Should You Buy This Time?

Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Price, News & Analysis

$731.54
+5.91 (+0.81%)
(As of 03/18/2024 ET)
Today's Range
$726.02
$733.34
50-Day Range
$667.18
$785.59
52-Week Range
$476.75
$787.08
Volume
1.59 million shs
Average Volume
2.25 million shs
Market Capitalization
$324.44 billion
P/E Ratio
47.84
Dividend Yield
0.56%
Price Target
$663.29

Costco Wholesale MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating
Moderate Buy
2.74 Rating Score
Upside/​Downside
8.6% Downside
$668.50 Price Target
Short Interest
Healthy
1.52% of Float Sold Short
Dividend Strength
Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability
-3.96
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment
0.51mentions of Costco Wholesale in the last 14 days
Based on 74 Articles This Week
Insider Trading
Selling Shares
$11.49 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth
9.57%
From $15.78 to $17.29 Per Share

Overall MarketRank

New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.

4.33 out of 5 stars

Retail/Wholesale Sector

33rd out of 203 stocks

Variety Stores Industry

5th out of 11 stocks

COST stock logo

About Costco Wholesale Stock (NASDAQ:COST)

Costco Wholesale Corporation is central to the global warehouse membership club story. The company was founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman but its history dates back to 1976 because of the merger with Price Club. Costco, originally known as Costco Companies, quickly grew in its first two years and became the 1st company to go from $0 to $3 billion in revenue within the 1st 3 years. The company held its IPO in 1985.

Price Club was founded in 1976 by the Price family. It was among the very first warehouse membership clubs and targeted small merchants and businesses. It also saw quick success and went public in 1980. The Price family turned down an offer to merge with Walmart’s Sam’s Club in favor of a more suitable match-up with Costco. Coincidentally, Costco founder Jim Sinegal got his start in the retail business working for Sol Price at his original membership club, FedMart.

The new company was formed in 1993. It owned 206 stores and was called PriceCostco for a time. The Price family eventually exit the business in favor of new operations resulting in the rebranding to Costco Wholesale Corporation. The Price family's new business is called PriceSmart and operates a chain of membership clubs in the Caribbean and Central America. Price Club’s first store, opened in an old Howard Hughes airplane hangar, is still in operation and known as Costco #401.

Today, Costco is based in Issaquah, Washington and it is among the largest businesses in the world. The company operates as a member-only big-box retailer claiming more than 118 million members, it is ranked #10 on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 5th largest retailer internationally. In terms of scale, it is the largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods and rotisserie chickens. Rotisserie chickens are a long-standing tradition at Costco which pioneered their use. The chickens are sold for less than cost and used to attract business into the store.

The company operates through a network of subsidiaries that own warehouses in 11 countries, including the US and Puerto Rico. The company retails branded and private-label merchandise across verticals and categories and at “discounted” or bulk-rate prices. Product categories include grocery and frozen foods, apparel, sporting goods, electronics, auto care, appliances, housewares and even furniture. Nearly 70% of the stores are located in the US with another 13% in Canada and the remainder scattered around the globe.

In addition to retail, the company also provides many services including pharmacy, eye care, food & beverage and auto care centers. The company also operates more than 665 gas stations across its footprint and a robust eCommerce channel. Other services include delivery, travel and curbside pickup. As of the year-end calendar 2022, the company operated more than 840 stores and was on track to open new stores in the coming years. Total revenue in 2022 topped $226 billion, the company employs more than 304,000 individuals and it is a member of the S&P 500, the S&P 100 and the NASDAQ 100.

 

 

COST Stock Price History

COST Stock News Headlines

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The S&P 500 advances after hot inflation data as traders and investors misprice the timing of the Fed's first interest rate cut in years.
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Costco Wholesale ( COST ) Grand Super Cycle Upside Target
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Receive COST Stock News and Ratings via Email

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Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 1/12 Dividend
12/27/2023
Dividend Payable
1/12/2024
Ex-Dividend for 2/16 Dividend
2/01/2024
Dividend Payable
2/16/2024
Last Earnings
3/07/2024
Today
3/18/2024
Next Earnings (Estimated)
5/23/2024
Fiscal Year End
8/31/2024

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Industry
Variety stores
Sub-Industry
Hypermarkets & Super Centers
Current Symbol
NASDAQ:COST
CUSIP
22160K10
Employees
316,000
Year Founded
1983

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Target
$663.29
High Stock Price Target
$805.00
Low Stock Price Target
$502.00
Potential Upside/Downside
-9.3%
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4)
2.74
Research Coverage
23 Analysts

Profitability

Net Income
$6.29 billion
Pretax Margin
3.65%

Debt

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales
$242.29 billion
Cash Flow
$19.35 per share
Book Value
$46.78 per share

Miscellaneous

Free Float
442,929,000
Market Cap
$324.58 billion
Optionable
Optionable
Beta
0.77

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Should I Buy Costco Wholesale Stock? COST Pros and Cons Explained

These insights were generated using artificial intelligence. They are based on proprietary MarketBeat data, news articles, and custom LLM A.I. algorithms. This analysis of Costco Wholesale was last updated on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 4:14 AM.

Pros

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Costco:

  • Costco's diversified geographic presence across multiple countries provides stability and growth opportunities, reducing reliance on any single market.
  • Strong membership model ensures a loyal customer base and recurring revenue stream, contributing to consistent cash flows.
  • Costco's focus on offering a mix of branded and private-label products allows for margin expansion and competitive pricing strategies.
  • Recent positive insider trading activities indicate confidence in the company's future performance, signaling a potential uptrend in stock value.
  • Costco's consistent revenue growth and profitability metrics make it an attractive long-term investment option in the retail sector.

Cons

Investors should be bearish about investing in Costco for these reasons:

  • Intense competition in the retail industry may lead to margin pressures and limit Costco's ability to maintain high profitability levels.
  • Economic downturns or shifts in consumer behavior could impact discretionary spending, affecting Costco's sales and financial performance.
  • Potential regulatory challenges or changes in trade policies across international markets where Costco operates may introduce uncertainties and risks.
  • Fluctuations in commodity prices, particularly in categories like fuel and food products, could impact Costco's cost structure and bottom line.
  • The current stock price of Costco should be carefully evaluated in relation to its intrinsic value and growth prospects to make informed investment decisions.

COST Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy or sell Costco Wholesale stock right now?

23 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last year. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 17 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" COST shares.
View COST analyst ratings
or view top-rated stocks.

What is Costco Wholesale's stock price target for 2024?

23 Wall Street research analysts have issued twelve-month price targets for Costco Wholesale's stock. Their COST share price targets range from $502.00 to $870.00. On average, they expect the company's stock price to reach $668.50 in the next year. This suggests that the stock has a possible downside of 8.6%.
View analysts price targets for COST
or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.

How have COST shares performed in 2024?

Costco Wholesale's stock was trading at $660.08 at the beginning of 2024. Since then, COST stock has increased by 10.8% and is now trading at $731.54.
View the best growth stocks for 2024 here
.

Are investors shorting Costco Wholesale?

Costco Wholesale saw a increase in short interest in February. As of February 29th, there was short interest totaling 6,730,000 shares, an increase of 6.5% from the February 14th total of 6,320,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,390,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Approximately 1.5% of the company's shares are sold short.
View Costco Wholesale's Short Interest
.

When is Costco Wholesale's next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, May 23rd 2024.
View our COST earnings forecast
.

How were Costco Wholesale's earnings last quarter?

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) announced its earnings results on Thursday, March, 7th. The retailer reported $3.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.62 by $0.09. The retailer had revenue of $58.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $59.11 billion. Costco Wholesale had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 28.80% and a net margin of 2.73%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.30 earnings per share.
Read the conference call transcript
.

How often does Costco Wholesale pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Costco Wholesale?

Costco Wholesale announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, January 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share on Friday, February 16th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 1st.
Read our dividend analysis for COST
.

Is Costco Wholesale a good dividend stock?

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) pays an annual dividend of $4.08 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.56%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 26.68%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, COST will have a dividend payout ratio of 23.60% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
Read our dividend analysis for COST.

How were Costco Wholesale's same store sales last quarter?

Costco Wholesale same-store sales rose 10% during the month of January. Costco Wholesale shares climbed by 0% in the first day of trading following the report.

What is Craig Jelinek's approval rating as Costco Wholesale's CEO?

3,447 employees have rated Costco Wholesale Chief Executive Officer Craig Jelinek on Glassdoor.com. Craig Jelinek has an approval rating of 92% among the company's employees. This puts Craig Jelinek in the top 30% of approval ratings compared to other CEOs of publicly-traded companies.

What other stocks do shareholders of Costco Wholesale own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Costco Wholesale investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Walt Disney (DIS), Alibaba Group (BABA), Home Depot (HD), Netflix (NFLX), Visa (V), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Tesla (TSLA), Walmart (WMT) and Boeing (BA).

Who are Costco Wholesale's major shareholders?

Costco Wholesale's stock is owned by a variety of institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group Inc. (9.10%), Vanguard Group Inc. (9.10%), Norges Bank (1.24%), Northern Trust Corp (1.13%), Nuveen Asset Management LLC (0.88%) and Capital World Investors (0.80%). Insiders that own company stock include Caton Frates, Claudine Adamo, Daniel M Hines, James C Klauer, James C Klauer, James P Murphy, Joseph P Portera, Kenneth D Denman, Mary Agnes Wilderotter, Patrick J Callans, Patrick J Callans, Pierre Riel, Richard A Galanti, Roland Michael Vachris, Russell D Miller, Susan L Decker, Timothy L Rose, W Craig Jelinek and Yoram Rubanenko.
View institutional ownership trends
.

How do I buy shares of Costco Wholesale?

Shares of COST stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.
Compare Top Brokerages Here.

Does Costco Wholesale have any subsidiaries?
The following companies are subsidiares of Costco Wholesale: Costco De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Costco Insurance Agency Inc., Costco President Taiwan Inc., Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd., Costco Wholesale Korea Ltd., Costco Wholesale Membership Inc., Costco Wholesale United Kingdom Ltd., Innovel Solutions, NW Re Ltd., and PriceCostco International Inc..
Read More
This page (NASDAQ:COST) was last updated on 3/18/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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