Costco Wholesale (COST) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) is expected to post its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, March 5th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $4.51 per share and revenue of $68.9644 billion for the quarter. Investors can check the company’s upcoming Q2 2026 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. On average, analysts expect Costco Wholesale to post $18 EPS for the current fiscal year and $20 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $994.76 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $942.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $934.83. The stock has a market cap of $441.54 billion, a PE ratio of 53.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in COST. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,760,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graney & King LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 6.8% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 173 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. PCG Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.1% during the third quarter. PCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 536 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Seneschal Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the second quarter. Seneschal Advisors LLC now owns 3,142 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,110,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Menard Financial Group LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the third quarter. Menard Financial Group LLC now owns 886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $820,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco rolled out a new food-court menu item (double chocolate mint sundae / mint chocolate sundae) that has drawn strong shopper interest and social-media buzz—small-margin, high-traffic initiatives that can boost in-store visits and membership renewals. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes Costco is adding more big brands and lowering prices on some items—reinforcing its value proposition and traffic-driving “treasure hunt” model that supports membership growth and same-store sales. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target for COST to $1,000 (from $990) while keeping a Neutral rating — a modest analyst upgrade that reflects recent same-store sales/earnings beats and supports the stock’s near-term valuation floor. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues expansion: a new warehouse is slated to open in Lawrence later this year, supporting long-term sales growth and membership penetration in that market. New Costco store set to open in Lawrence later this year
• Positive Sentiment: Product assortment expansion—Costco widened distribution of Levels Whey Protein across several regions—helping its health/wellness assortment and appealing to higher-margin grocery categories. Costco Expands Levels Whey Protein As Valuation And Membership Story Evolves
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context: consumer staples and defensive funds have outperformed recently, which can support Costco as a defensive retail play but may already be priced into shares. Consumer Staples Are Up Almost 20% While the S&P 500 Struggles. Retirees Are Paying Attention.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest report shows no meaningful change (reported 0 shares), so short activity is not driving today’s move.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: Costco is facing multiple class‑action lawsuits tied to its $4.99 rotisserie chicken pricing—potential reputational/legal expense risk that can pressure sentiment and media attention. Costco faces yet another lawsuit over its rotisserie chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/strategy worries: pieces flag macro/tariff risks and argue Costco’s valuation is rich — issues that can cap upside in a risk‑off market. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique: commentary labeling Costco a “fantastic company” but questioning its current valuation can prompt profit‑taking among investors who see limited upside from here. Costco: Fantastic Company, Unreasonable Valuation

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Gordon Haskett raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

About Costco Wholesale

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.