Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Earns Outperform Rating from Telsey Advisory Group

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by research analysts at Telsey Advisory Group in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,125.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 12.89% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. HSBC lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.3%

COST opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $442.13 billion, a PE ratio of 51.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $987.35 and a 200 day moving average of $939.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is preparing to open its first stand‑alone gas station to members — a rollout aimed at easing congestion at existing warehouses and expanding fuel access without adding in‑store traffic bottlenecks; this could boost fuel volume and member convenience over time. Costco Will Soon Open Its First Stand-Alone Gas Station
• Positive Sentiment: New checkout/automated pay technology being tested cuts payment time to roughly 8–10 seconds, which can raise throughput, improve customer experience, and lower labor cost per transaction if rolled out broadly. Faster in‑store turns support higher sales per visit. Costco’s new checkout technology cuts payment time down to 8 seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans aggressive unit growth (Zacks notes ~28 new warehouses in FY26 and >30 annually thereafter) and is expanding business centres in Canada — capacity growth that supports long‑run membership and sales expansion. Expansion also increases fuel and ancillary sales opportunities. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights that rising gas prices can benefit membership clubs: fuel acts as a “loss leader” that drives store traffic and membership renewals — a dynamic supporting Costco’s retention and comp sales in higher‑fuel environments. Surprising Beneficiaries of High Gas Prices: BJs and Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/analyst notes are constructive (IBD bullish patterns, recent upgrades), which can attract momentum buyers even as valuation remains rich; watch price targets and volume for follow‑through. Costco, IBD’s Stock Of The Day
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit alleges Costco raised store prices then sought tariff refunds from the government — legal and reputational risk that could draw regulatory scrutiny or distraction if the case escalates. Monitor developments for litigation costs or settlements. Costco sued over claims it raised prices
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: analysis suggests Walmart/Sam’s Club is leveraging e‑commerce and advertising to gain share — a long‑term competitive headwind that could pressure margins if Costco needs to invest more in omnichannel capabilities. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Walmart and Costco

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.