The Goldman Sachs Group Boosts Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target to $1,159.00

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its price target increased by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the retailer’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 21.31% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also commented on COST. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,192.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,055.79.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 4.0%

NASDAQ:COST traded down $39.76 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $955.44. 1,356,024 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,104,118. Costco Wholesale has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $423.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.77, a PEG ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,008.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $962.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.98 by ($0.05). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.68 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported stronger-than-expected sales, with revenue of $70.53 billion versus estimates of $69.68 billion, and U.S. same-store sales rising 9.8%, showing that value-focused shoppers are still spending. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Fuel demand was a standout driver, with Costco’s gas stations setting record volumes as drivers chased lower prices, adding an extra boost to traffic and sales. MarketWatch article
• Positive Sentiment: Digital demand and membership strength continue to support the long-term thesis, with multiple articles highlighting surging e-commerce activity and resilient member-driven growth. TipRanks article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remained bullish after the report, with BTIG and Morgan Stanley reaffirming positive ratings and raising price targets to $1,125 and $1,130, respectively. TipRanks article
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS came in at $4.93, slightly below the $4.98 consensus, so margin pressure remains a concern even as top-line momentum stays strong. MarketBeat earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin and transportation costs are still pressuring profitability, which is why some commentary described the quarter as “mixed” despite the sales beat. Motley Fool article

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.