Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) had its target price boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $900.00 to $950.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the retailer’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective indicates a potential downside of 4.20% from the stock’s previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,006.19.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded up $13.35 during trading on Thursday, hitting $991.70. 1,525,873 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,703,300. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $440.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.11, a P/E/G ratio of 5.85 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $911.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $929.80. Costco Wholesale has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of COST. DNB Asset Management AS grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 88,026 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $75,908,000 after acquiring an additional 2,514 shares in the last quarter. Steginsky Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Steginsky Capital LLC now owns 132,195 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $113,997,000 after acquiring an additional 6,942 shares in the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 294 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $254,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 182.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $462,265,000 after purchasing an additional 346,208 shares during the period. Finally, Isthmus Partners LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $242,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company-reported January sales beat expectations — net sales of $21.33 billion, up 9.3% year-over-year, with strong comparable-store and digital growth, which supports near-term revenue momentum and investor confidence. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports January Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is skewing bullish — TipRanks notes a Strong Buy trend among analysts, Telsey reaffirmed Outperform, and firms like Gordon Haskett have issued positive price-appreciation forecasts, supporting upside expectations. Costco Stock Forecast: Trending StrongBuy Among Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/flow support: Bank of America flagged record inflows into consumer staples (including Costco) as investors rotate out of tech, providing demand tailwinds for the stock. Walmart, Costco, XLP Surge As BofA Flags Record Inflows Into Consumer Staples Amid Tech Selloff
• Positive Sentiment: Press narratives highlight a “comeback” — several outlets credit Costco with reversing 2025 weakness and regaining leadership in early-2026 performance, which can attract momentum traders. Costco’s Comeback: Why Betting Against This Retail Giant Is a Losing Game
• Neutral Sentiment: High-profile commentary — Jim Cramer highlighted quirky merchandising (discounted Hermès in China), which draws attention but is unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Jim Cramer Says Its ‘Just Crazy’ That Costco Sells Discounted Hermès Birkin…
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data appears to be a non-informative/data glitch this cycle and is unlikely to explain price action. (Trade-volume context: current volume below 50‑day average.)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — commentary in Barron’s and valuation-focused pieces question whether staples (including Costco) look “frothy” after recent gains; COST’s high P/E may limit upside unless earnings growth accelerates. Staples Stocks Are Known for Safety. Now They Look Way Too Frothy.
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/legal noise — a California recall of pastries for undeclared nuts and a lawsuit challenging rotisserie-chicken labeling create modest reputational/legal risks; these are likely manageable but worth monitoring. Costco recalls pastries sold in CA over undeclared nuts

About Costco Wholesale

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.