Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Increases Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target to $1,106.00

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank raised its price target on Costco from $1,104 to $1,106 and keeps a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 10.63% upside from the current price.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive — BMO bumped its target to $1,315, and the street consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $1,046.03 (22 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell).
• Fundamentals and catalysts: Costco posted an EPS beat ($4.58 vs. $4.55) and revenue of $69.6B (+9.2% YoY), with April sales up ~13%, but the stock trades at a rich valuation (~P/E 52), increasing sensitivity to growth disappointments.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the retailer's stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft's price target points to a potential upside of 10.63% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on COST. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Gordon Haskett upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,046.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of COST stock traded up $3.93 on Thursday, hitting $999.68. The stock had a trading volume of 125,370 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,079,997. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business has a 50 day moving average of $997.75 and a 200 day moving average of $950.96. Costco Wholesale has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $443.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale will post 20.32 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: April sales beat: Costco reported net sales of $23.92 billion for the four weeks ended May 3, up 13% year-over-year (first 35 weeks sales +9.5%). Strong comparable-store trends, especially in the U.S., support the near-term revenue outlook and membership value proposition. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline tailwind: High U.S. gasoline prices are lifting fuel revenue and per-visit ticket averages — analysts highlight this as a near-term profit driver for Costco’s fuel business. Costco Stock (COST) in Focus as U.S. Gasoline Prices Near Record High
• Positive Sentiment: Retail partnerships and in-warehouse activations: GEN Korean BBQ is running a Costco roadshow demo series this summer — such demos can boost foot traffic, impulse purchases and member engagement. GEN Korean BBQ Launches Costco Roadshow Series, Marking Next Phase of Retail Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Network expansion: Groundbreaking/land deals continue (e.g., new Milwaukee County store), supporting capacity growth and longer-term sales expansion. Construction starts soon on Costco's first Milwaukee County store after land deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Company commentary/transcript available: Costco’s period-ending/trading statement prepared remarks were posted — useful for detail but contained no major surprises to change guidance. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Period Ending/ Trading Statement Call Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand cachet & consumer stories (e.g., celebrities shopping at Costco) and broader tech/grocery features raise awareness but are unlikely to move the stock materially. Jet Li is the latest millionaire to admit he loves shopping at Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term pullback: News outlets noted a recent intraday slide (closed near $995.32, ~2.1% down on the last session), suggesting profit-taking after a strong YTD run. Costco (COST) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade
• Negative Sentiment: Rich valuation: COST trades at a high P/E (~51.7) and elevated PEG (~5.0), which makes the stock sensitive to growth disappointments or macro-led traffic declines. Costco (COST) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade (Zacks)

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.

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