Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Receives $1,059.07 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-five research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have given a hold recommendation and twenty-two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,059.0667.

A number of research firms have weighed in on COST. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. 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 acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $935.03 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $414.67 billion, a PE ratio of 47.03, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $965.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $979.93.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record demand for Costco Gas is driving more store visits, which can support merchandise sales and membership renewals by increasing overall customer traffic. Costco Gas Demand Hits Record as Low Prices Drive Member Visits
• Positive Sentiment: Costco was highlighted as a stock that can hold up if inflation stays elevated, with its membership model and scale seen as a defensive advantage for investors. 2 Stocks Built to Thrive If Inflation Refuses to Fade (COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Costco favorably overall, with the company reported to have a “Moderate Buy” consensus recommendation. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Some shoppers may be eligible for cash from Costco’s $14 million settlement in Washington, which is a consumer-relations issue but does not appear large enough to materially change the investment case. Some Costco shoppers could qualify for cash in settlement payout
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data showed 0 shares reported, offering no meaningful new signal on trading pressure or sentiment.

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.