Costco Wholesale’s (COST) Sector Perform Rating Reaffirmed at Royal Bank Of Canada

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating reaffirmed by Royal Bank Of Canada in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $1,000.00 price objective on the retailer’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target indicates a potential upside of 5.86% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on COST. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST traded down $3.24 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $944.68. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 516,309 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,187,580. The firm has a market capitalization of $418.95 billion, a PE ratio of 45.50, a P/E/G ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $930.81 and a 200 day moving average of $963.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 22.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Breakwater Capital Group boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 536.3% in the 3rd quarter. Breakwater Capital Group now owns 6,401 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,827,000 after buying an additional 5,395 shares in the last quarter. Eclectic Associates Inc. ADV boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Eclectic Associates Inc. ADV now owns 1,236 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. LifeGoal Investments LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 587.9% during the 3rd quarter. LifeGoal Investments LLC now owns 3,467 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,156,000 after purchasing an additional 2,963 shares during the period. Pacifica Partners Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 982 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $898,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Stableford Capital II LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Stableford Capital II LLC now owns 1,286 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,171,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Companywide comparable sales increased 11.4%, while comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects rose 7.6%. U.S. comparable sales increased 12.5%, supported by higher traffic and transaction growth. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum: Online sales reportedly grew 19%, reinforcing Costco’s retail momentum. Coverage also points to the company’s popular merchandise and new offerings as potential drivers of membership sign-ups and customer engagement. Costco’s September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its “sector perform” rating but set a $1,000 price target, implying moderate upside from recent trading levels. UBS also characterized September trends as accelerating. Royal Bank of Canada rating update Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain measured: DA Davidson maintained a “hold” rating following a warehouse-club tour, suggesting that strong traffic is already balanced against valuation and margin concerns. DA Davidson Costco warehouse tour
• Negative Sentiment: Growth quality and valuation risks: Analysts caution that part of September’s comparable-sales surge may have come from higher gasoline prices and other lower-margin or one-time benefits. COST trades at roughly 45 times earnings, leaving limited room for execution misses or margin pressure. Costco’s Sales Rebound in September

About Costco Wholesale

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.