Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Mizuho Analyst Says

Key Points

• Mizuho raised its price target on Costco to $1,100 (from $1,065) and kept an "outperform" rating, implying roughly a 10.5% upside; MarketBeat shows a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $1,044.30.
• Costco beat quarterly estimates with $4.58 EPS versus $4.55 expected and reported revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year‑over‑year), reinforcing the company's growth momentum.
• The board approved a 13.1% quarterly dividend increase to $1.47 per share, signaling strong free cash flow and a shareholder-friendly capital allocation policy.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Mizuho from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 in a report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the retailer's stock. Mizuho's target price suggests a potential upside of 10.54% from the company's current price.

COST has been the subject of a number of other reports. Roth Mkm reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,044.30.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $995.12 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market capitalization of $441.48 billion, a PE ratio of 51.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $995.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $943.83. Costco Wholesale has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 2,038 shares of company stock valued at $2,007,916 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of COST. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 13.1% quarterly dividend increase (from $1.30 to $1.47 per share), signaling strong free cash flow and a shareholder-friendly capital allocation stance; payable May 15 to holders of record May 1. Costco Announces Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Company is emphasizing differentiated, exclusive SKUs (example: an exclusive Aussie Miracle Curls jumbo pack) — helps drive membership value and traffic, supporting margins and comp-sales. Costco Raises Dividend And Bets On Exclusive Aussie Curl Care Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts (Telsey, Wells Fargo) raised price targets and reiterated bullish views, citing steady execution — adds upward pressure via upgraded expectations. Telsey and Wells Fargo Raise Costco Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Operational metrics remain solid: strong March retail comps (about 9.4% comp growth, big digital gains) and Japan continuing to scale as a high-potential international market — supports revenue growth thesis. Is Costco Stock a Buy After Strong March Sales?
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion and local approvals continue (new/alternative-format store planned on west side of the Metroplex; UK and local liquor license approvals) — incremental growth but capital-light impact vs. headline cash return actions. Costco to bring different kind of store to west side of Metroplex
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Sam’s Club and BJ’s gaining traction in some markets; Walmart/Sam’s membership fee moves may shift competitive pricing but could also validate the subscription model that favors Costco long-term. Will Increased Membership Fees at Sam's Club Boost Costco?
• Negative Sentiment: Local competitors (Sam’s Club, BJ’s) are gaining share in some areas Costco historically dominated — could pressure market share or pricing in select regions over time. Sam's Club, BJs gain traction in area Costco dominates

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.

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