Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Given Sector Perform Rating at Royal Bank Of Canada

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating restated by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,000.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 5.61% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on COST. Bank of America decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Freedom Broker cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST traded down $1.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $946.92. 1,502,779 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,192,775. Costco Wholesale has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $930.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $963.38. The company has a market cap of $419.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 22.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported approximately $30.02 billion in September net sales, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, U.S. comparable sales rose 12.5%, and digitally enabled sales climbed 19%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Costco’s September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see improving trends: UBS characterized the September results as evidence of accelerating trends, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained a Sector Perform rating and a $1,000 price target, implying additional upside from recently reported levels. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data is inconclusive: A report lists October short interest at zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with normal market data and is unlikely to be a meaningful trading signal without confirmation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support remains mixed: DA Davidson reiterated a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, indicating that strong operating trends have not yet led all analysts to recommend buying the stock. Costco Stock: Here’s What DA Davidson Found During Its Warehouse Club Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks temper the sales beat: RBC noted that Costco’s growth may already be reflected in its share price. Analysts also cautioned that gasoline, foreign exchange, and other one-time or lower-margin factors contributed to the September improvement, potentially limiting the impact on earnings and margins. Costco’s Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.