Costco Wholesale’s (COST) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at BTIG Research

BTIG Research restated their buy rating on shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $1,115.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on COST. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,035.35.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.10 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $443.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.90, a PEG ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $961.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $935.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.37% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after buying an additional 7,116 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 double‑beat — Costco reported revenue of ~$69.6B and GAAP EPS of $4.58, with comp‑store strength and membership fee growth that underpin near‑term sales momentum. This is the main catalyst supporting the rally. Costco Wholesale beats quarterly comparable sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — several brokers (notably a large Street high by BMO cited in coverage) raised targets and reiterated outperform/overweight views, adding upward pressure. Costco Stock Scores New Street‑High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & balance‑sheet strength — commentary and notes on buybacks, a rising cash pile and the “special dividend” thesis are attracting income/return‑focused investors and support further upside. Costco Wholesale: Buy Now, Get Paid Later as Cash and Returns Build
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum — online sales growth (~22.6%) and rising membership income are cited on the call as durable drivers of mix and margins, supporting investor confidence. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — while many raised targets, a few (e.g., Goldman) trimmed targets even as they kept buy calls; that creates a mix of conviction levels among institutional holders. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Muted market reaction — despite the beat, some headlines note a tepid price move (and some pre‑market weakness) as investors weigh valuation metrics versus growth. That can lead to intraday volatility. Costco Stock Exhibits Muted Reaction Amid Double‑Beat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and “red flags” narrative — some outlets argue the stock is expensive (high P/E, PEG) and list risks that could cap upside; those narratives are pressuring more value‑sensitive investors. Is Costco Too Expensive? 3 Red Flags That Could Send Shares Sliding

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.