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

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by equities research analysts at Telsey Advisory Group in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,100.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s price target points to a potential upside of 27.56% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 29th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $862.34 on Friday. Costco Wholesale has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market cap of $382.77 billion, a PE ratio of 46.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s 50 day moving average is $896.34 and its 200 day moving average is $935.81.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Peterson Wealth Services grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $16,718,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 312 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company continuing to execute on digital and in‑store traffic strength, which supports membership revenue and resilience in a tougher consumer environment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is advancing real estate and growth plans — regulators/announcements show steps to open two new Ontario locations, which supports long‑term unit growth and membership expansion. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market mentions (including being cited as a potential stock‑split candidate) can attract retail attention and short‑term buying interest if expectations build. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Practical consumer pieces — holiday hours and store opening coverage — are visible but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/new‑arrivals coverage that can help traffic but is not a driver of the stock on its own. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Retrospectives highlighting strong long‑term returns remind investors of Costco’s track record but also note it currently trades at a premium — useful context, not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: EVP Javier Polit sold multiple blocks of shares (~2,600 shares across late‑December filings), which has been reported in SEC filings and media — such sales can pressure sentiment because they are often read as executives taking gains. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains elevated (P/E ≈ 46) relative to expected slower near‑term earnings growth; this limits upside and makes the stock sensitive to any growth miss. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Isolated supply‑chain/shrink incidents (reported cargo/theft losses tied to product destined for Costco) are small but a reminder of operational risks that can incrementally pressure margins or investor sentiment. Read More.

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.