Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Rating Reaffirmed as Buy by Argus

Key Points

• Argus reaffirmed its Buy rating on Costco Wholesale and set a $1,230 price target, implying 32.83% potential upside from the reported $925.98 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with 22 Buy ratings, 10 Holds, and one Sell; MarketBeat reports a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,046.27.
• Costco exceeded quarterly expectations, posting $6.75 in earnings per share versus the $6.54 consensus and $95.72 billion in revenue versus $94.97 billion expected.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at Argus in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $1,230.00 target price on the retailer's stock. Argus' price objective suggests a potential upside of 32.83% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on COST. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.3%

Costco Wholesale stock traded up $3.21 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $925.98. 155,640 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,188,128. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $410.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.86. Costco Wholesale has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The business's 50-day moving average price is $933.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $967.60.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 22.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 42.0% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 117,027 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $109,475,000 after acquiring an additional 34,608 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 21,023 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,666,000 after purchasing an additional 6,969 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 68.9% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,042,046 shares of the retailer's stock worth $974,803,000 after purchasing an additional 424,982 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer's stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.3% during the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 12,243 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,419,000 after buying an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported quarterly EPS of $6.75, above the $6.54 consensus, while revenue reached $95.72 billion versus expectations of $94.97 billion. Comparable sales increased 9.4%, reinforcing the company’s strong customer traffic and sales momentum. Company News for Sep 28, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership growth and retention remain key investment drivers. Analysts also point to international expansion and improving digital operations as potential sources of future earnings growth, helping support the bullish long-term case. COST Stock Wrapped Its Best Week Since May
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received $184 million in tariff refunds and said most of the benefit would be passed to members through lower prices. That may improve customer value perceptions and support traffic, though it is not a recurring earnings benefit. Costco Receives $184M in Tariff Refunds

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.