Costco Wholesale’s (COST) “Outperform” Rating Reaffirmed at Telsey Advisory Group

Telsey Advisory Group restated their outperform rating on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a report published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Telsey Advisory Group currently has a $1,125.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.0%

COST opened at $996.43 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $442.07 billion, a PE ratio of 51.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $988.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $939.28.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer reiterated Costco as a defensive, buy‑in‑this‑environment pick, which can support retail investor demand and sentiment. Jim Cramer on Costco: “This One Is What You Buy in This Environment”
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and a $1,125 price target, implying meaningful upside from current levels and giving institutional/quant models a constructive signal. Telsey Advisory Group Outperform Note
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out its first stand‑alone gas station and continues to use discounted fuel as a membership and traffic driver — high pump prices can actually bolster membership growth and in‑store sales. This is a potential revenue/traffic tailwind. Costco Will Soon Open Its First Stand-Alone Gas Station
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and footprint expansion: Costco is testing faster checkout tech and planning new warehouses and business‑centre openings (including Canada), which support long‑term traffic and membership retention. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/market notes (Dow Jones/IBD) flag Costco approaching new buy points after recent rallies — useful for traders but not a fundamental change. Dow Jones: Merck, Costco Approach New Buy Points
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are split on near‑term sales and valuation — March sales are expected to rise YOY but forward multiples remain rich, keeping analyst opinions mixed. Costco March Sales to Climb, But Analysts Stay Split on COST Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/consumer risk: Costco faces a lawsuit alleging it raised prices then sought tariff refunds, a story that could generate regulatory/legal costs or reputational hit if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds
• Negative Sentiment: Minor consumer PR issue: a viral complaint about an “overpriced” new dessert feeds short‑term negative chatter among members, though it’s unlikely to materially affect fundamentals. Costco Members Are FURIOUS About This ‘Overpriced’ New Dessert

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.