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S&P 500   4,288.05
DOW   33,507.50
QQQ   358.27
Will the Energy Sector Continue to Outshine the Market?
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Borrowers are reassessing their budgets as student loan payments resume after pandemic pause
MarketBeat Week in Review – 9/25 - 9/29
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's people have left, Armenia's government says
Powerball jackpot rises to $1.04 billion after another drawing without a big winner
A 73-Year-Old Market Signal With 95% Accuracy Just Flashed (Ad)
Promoting tradition as well as beans, Ethiopian coffee shops find fans far from home
California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects bill that would have given unemployment checks to some striking workers
S&P 500   4,288.05
DOW   33,507.50
QQQ   358.27
Will the Energy Sector Continue to Outshine the Market?
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Borrowers are reassessing their budgets as student loan payments resume after pandemic pause
MarketBeat Week in Review – 9/25 - 9/29
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's people have left, Armenia's government says
Powerball jackpot rises to $1.04 billion after another drawing without a big winner
A 73-Year-Old Market Signal With 95% Accuracy Just Flashed (Ad)
Promoting tradition as well as beans, Ethiopian coffee shops find fans far from home
California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects bill that would have given unemployment checks to some striking workers
S&P 500   4,288.05
DOW   33,507.50
QQQ   358.27
Will the Energy Sector Continue to Outshine the Market?
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Borrowers are reassessing their budgets as student loan payments resume after pandemic pause
MarketBeat Week in Review – 9/25 - 9/29
This is the #1 Stock to Buy for the AI Tidal Wave (Ad)
Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's people have left, Armenia's government says
Powerball jackpot rises to $1.04 billion after another drawing without a big winner
A 73-Year-Old Market Signal With 95% Accuracy Just Flashed (Ad)
Promoting tradition as well as beans, Ethiopian coffee shops find fans far from home
California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects bill that would have given unemployment checks to some striking workers
Most-Upgraded StocksMost-Upgraded
NASDAQ:COST

Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Forecast, Price & News

$564.96
-3.67 (-0.65%)
(As of 09/29/2023 ET)
Compare
Today's Range
$560.70
▼
$570.99
50-Day Range
$531.71
▼
$568.63
52-Week Range
$447.90
▼
$572.18
Volume
1.89 million shs
Average Volume
1.60 million shs
Market Capitalization
$250.33 billion
P/E Ratio
39.90
Dividend Yield
0.72%
Price Target
$580.93
ProfileAnalyst RatingsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsInsider TradesInstitutional OwnershipHeadlinesOptions ChainSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainability

Costco Wholesale MarketRank™ Forecast

Analyst Rating
Moderate Buy
2.74 Rating Score
Upside/​Downside
2.8% Upside
$580.93 Price Target
Short Interest
Healthy
0.92% of Float Sold Short
Dividend Strength
Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability
-2.39
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment
0.46mentions of Costco Wholesale in the last 14 days
Based on 156 Articles This Week
Insider Trading
N/A
Proj. Earnings Growth
8.60%
From $15.69 to $17.04 Per Share

Overall MarketRank™

MarketRank is calculated as an average of available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

2.38 out of 5 stars

Retail/Wholesale Sector

94th out of 214 stocks

Variety Stores Industry

6th out of 11 stocks

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

COST stock logo

About Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation is central to the global warehouse membership club story. The company was founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman but its history dates back to 1976 because of the merger with Price Club. Costco, originally known as Costco Companies, quickly grew in its first two years and became the 1st company to go from $0 to $3 billion in revenue within the 1st 3 years. The company held its IPO in 1985.

Price Club was founded in 1976 by the Price family. It was among the very first warehouse membership clubs and targeted small merchants and businesses. It also saw quick success and went public in 1980. The Price family turned down an offer to merge with Walmart’s Sam’s Club in favor of a more suitable match-up with Costco. Coincidentally, Costco founder Jim Sinegal got his start in the retail business working for Sol Price at his original membership club, FedMart.

The new company was formed in 1993. It owned 206 stores and was called PriceCostco for a time. The Price family eventually exit the business in favor of new operations resulting in the rebranding to Costco Wholesale Corporation. The Price family's new business is called PriceSmart and operates a chain of membership clubs in the Caribbean and Central America. Price Club’s first store, opened in an old Howard Hughes airplane hangar, is still in operation and known as Costco #401.

Today, Costco is based in Issaquah, Washington and it is among the largest businesses in the world. The company operates as a member-only big-box retailer claiming more than 118 million members, it is ranked #10 on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 5th largest retailer internationally. In terms of scale, it is the largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods and rotisserie chickens. Rotisserie chickens are a long-standing tradition at Costco which pioneered their use. The chickens are sold for less than cost and used to attract business into the store.

The company operates through a network of subsidiaries that own warehouses in 11 countries, including the US and Puerto Rico. The company retails branded and private-label merchandise across verticals and categories and at “discounted” or bulk-rate prices. Product categories include grocery and frozen foods, apparel, sporting goods, electronics, auto care, appliances, housewares and even furniture. Nearly 70% of the stores are located in the US with another 13% in Canada and the remainder scattered around the globe.

In addition to retail, the company also provides many services including pharmacy, eye care, food & beverage and auto care centers. The company also operates more than 665 gas stations across its footprint and a robust eCommerce channel. Other services include delivery, travel and curbside pickup. As of the year-end calendar 2022, the company operated more than 840 stores and was on track to open new stores in the coming years. Total revenue in 2022 topped $226 billion, the company employs more than 304,000 individuals and it is a member of the S&P 500, the S&P 100 and the NASDAQ 100.

 

 

COST Price History

COST Stock News Headlines

September 30, 2023 | marketbeat.com
MarketBeat Week in Review – 9/25 - 9/29 (COST)
A possible government shutdown adds to the wall of worry for investors to consider heading into the fourth quarter; but at least September is finally over
September 27, 2023 | marketbeat.com
The Odds Are High Costco Will Declare a Special Dividend Soon 
Costco had a solid quarter and continues to build its cash hoard, raising the odds that investors will receive a special dividend.
October 1, 2023 | Chaikin Analytics (Ad)
This Stock Could Go Up 66% or More.
Marc Chaikin built the system that isolated NVDA before it became the best-performing stock of 2023.  Click here to get his latest buy.  More here.
September 27, 2023 | marketbeat.com
3 Mid-Cap Momentum Plays to Ride Into Q4 (COST)
The low volatility of these three mid-caps with bullish momentum make them less likely to fall with the 2023 autumn leaves.
September 20, 2023 | marketbeat.com
3 Reasons Wall Street Is 100% Bullish on This Recent IPO (COST)
With nearly 50% upside to the consensus target, investors have a second chance to pounce on secondhand leader Savers Value Village.
September 13, 2023 | marketbeat.com
3 Reasons Dollar General Shares Belong in the Shopping Cart (COST)
Shares of Dollar General have fallen to their lowest level since May 2019, making the stock an attractive long-term play on a consumer spending rebound.
September 5, 2023 | marketbeat.com
5 Ways to Play Retail that will Profit in 2023 (COST)
The retail environment is shifting, but not all is lost. The group has clear winners that can provide healthy returns for investors.
September 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Costco Wholesale Corp (CTO.DU)
October 1, 2023 | Behind the Markets (Ad)
BREAKING: Tiny biotech successfully treats blindness
There's a tiny biotech in Cambridge that's using a breakthrough technology to treat blindness. This company has already shown success in human trials... And Our research shows that anyone who gets in today could see a 46,751% return.
September 30, 2023 | yahoo.com
How Costco Is Able To Keep Its Prices Lower Than Most Other Retailers
September 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Costco Wholesale Corporation (CTO0.F)
September 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
5 Amazing Costco Buys for Less Than $10
September 30, 2023 | msn.com
Costco's famous $5 rotisserie chicken has a shelf life of just 2 hours, according to super fans who have visited over 200 stores
September 30, 2023 | msn.com
Costco membership fee hike is coming
September 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Bullish on Amazon, Walmart, and Costco? This Rival Retail Stock Has Beaten Them All.
September 30, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
5 Tricks to Saving Money at Costco
September 30, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com
Costco Wholesale Co. to Post Q1 2024 Earnings of $3.65 Per Share, DA Davidson Forecasts (NASDAQ:COST)
September 30, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com
FY2024 EPS Estimates for Costco Wholesale Co. Boosted by Analyst (NASDAQ:COST)
September 29, 2023 | fool.com
Should You Get a Costco Membership Just for the Costco Visa Card?
September 29, 2023 | yahoo.com
Finally, Costco's App Is Going To Get Better
September 29, 2023 | msn.com
Costco: A Balanced Play Amid Robust Growth And Overvaluation Concerns
September 29, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
Can Costco Stock Hit $600 by the End of 2023?
September 29, 2023 | yahoo.com
Costco is selling gold bars - and the wholesale giant says they’re selling fast
September 29, 2023 | msn.com
Costco stops giving Instacart shoppers gift cards as refunds, amid claims they were being misused
September 29, 2023 | yahoo.com
Weird Rules Costco Food Court Employees Have To Follow
September 29, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com
4 Numbers That Explain the Stock Market’s Miserable September
September 29, 2023 | americanbankingnews.com
Q1 2024 EPS Estimates for Costco Wholesale Co. Cut by Telsey Advisory Group (NASDAQ:COST)
See More Headlines
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COST Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 9/8 Dividend
8/24/2023
Dividend Payable
9/08/2023
Last Earnings
9/26/2023
Today
10/01/2023
Next Earnings (Estimated)
12/14/2023
Fiscal Year End
8/31/2024
Get Stock Alerts

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange
NASDAQ
Industry
Variety stores
Sub-Industry
Hypermarkets & Super Centers
Sector
Retail/Wholesale
Current Symbol
NASDAQ:COST
CUSIP
22160K10
CIK
909832
Web
www.costco.com
Phone
(425) 313-8100
Fax
425-313-6593
Employees
304,000
Year Founded
1983

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Forecast
$580.93
High Stock Price Forecast
$652.00
Low Stock Price Forecast
$484.00
Forecasted Upside/Downside
+2.8%
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4)
2.74
Research Coverage
27 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)
$14.16
Trailing P/E Ratio
39.90
Forward P/E Ratio
36.01
P/E Growth
4.1
Net Income
$5.84 billion
Net Margins
2.60%
Pretax Margin
3.50%
Return on Equity
28.10%
Return on Assets
9.72%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio
0.21
Current Ratio
1.07
Quick Ratio
0.57

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales
$242.29 billion
Price / Sales
1.03
Cash Flow
$19.30 per share
Price / Cash Flow
29.28
Book Value
$56.55 per share
Price / Book
9.99

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares
443,100,000
Free Float
442,125,000
Market Cap
$250.33 billion
Optionable
Optionable
Beta
0.79

Social Links

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Key Executives

  • Mr. W. Craig JelinekMr. W. Craig Jelinek (Age 71)
    CEO & Director
    Comp: $1.83M
  • Mr. Ron M. VachrisMr. Ron M. Vachris (Age 58)
    Pres, COO & Director
    Comp: $1.31M
  • Mr. Richard A. GalantiMr. Richard A. Galanti (Age 67)
    Exec. VP, CFO & Director
    Comp: $1.14M
  • Mr. Russell D. Miller (Age 66)
    Sr. EVP and COO of Warehouse Operations - U.S. & Mexico
    Comp: $1.01M
  • Mr. Patrick J. CallansMr. Patrick J. Callans (Age 60)
    Exec. VP of Admin.
  • David Sherwood
    VP of Fin. & Investor Relations
  • Mr. John Sullivan (Age 62)
    Exec. VP, Gen. Counsel & Corp. Sec.
  • Sheri Flies
    VP of Global Sustainability & Compliance
  • Sandy Torrey
    Sr. VP of Membership, Marketing, Member Service Centers & Travel
  • Brenda Weber
    Sr. VP of HR

Key Competitors

View All Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

View All Insider Transactions
View All Institutional Transactions













COST Stock - Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy or sell Costco Wholesale stock right now?

27 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last year. There are currently 7 hold ratings and 20 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" COST shares.
View COST analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.

What is Costco Wholesale's stock price forecast for 2023?

27 Wall Street analysts have issued twelve-month target prices for Costco Wholesale's stock. Their COST share price forecasts range from $484.00 to $652.00. On average, they predict the company's stock price to reach $580.93 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 2.8% from the stock's current price.
View analysts price targets for COST or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.

How have COST shares performed in 2023?

Costco Wholesale's stock was trading at $456.50 at the beginning of 2023. Since then, COST stock has increased by 23.8% and is now trading at $564.96.
View the best growth stocks for 2023 here.

When is Costco Wholesale's next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, December 14th 2023.
View our COST earnings forecast.

How were Costco Wholesale's earnings last quarter?

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September, 26th. The retailer reported $4.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.79 by $0.07. The retailer had revenue of $78.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.72 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.60% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 28.10%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.20 EPS.
Read the conference call transcript.

How often does Costco Wholesale pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Costco Wholesale?

Costco Wholesale declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, August 25th will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share on Friday, September 8th. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 24th.
Read our dividend analysis for COST.

What ETFs hold Costco Wholesale's stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) stock in their portfolio include Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP), Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA), Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), ProShares Ultra Consumer Staples (UGE), VanEck Retail ETF (RTH), iShares U.S. Consumer Focused ETF (IEDI), iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (KXI) and God Bless America ETF (YALL).

Is Costco Wholesale a good dividend stock?

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) pays an annual dividend of $4.08 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.72%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 19 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 28.81%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, COST will have a dividend payout ratio of 23.94% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
Read our dividend analysis for COST.

How were Costco Wholesale's same store sales last quarter?

Costco Wholesale same-store sales increased by 10% during the month of July. Costco Wholesale shares rose by 0% in the first full-day of trading following the news.

What is Craig Jelinek's approval rating as Costco Wholesale's CEO?

3,447 employees have rated Costco Wholesale Chief Executive Officer Craig Jelinek on Glassdoor.com. Craig Jelinek has an approval rating of 92% among the company's employees. This puts Craig Jelinek in the top 30% of approval ratings compared to other CEOs of publicly-traded companies.

What other stocks do shareholders of Costco Wholesale own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other Costco Wholesale investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Walt Disney (DIS), Alibaba Group (BABA), Home Depot (HD), Netflix (NFLX), Visa (V), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Tesla (TSLA), Walmart (WMT) and Boeing (BA).

What is Costco Wholesale's stock symbol?

Costco Wholesale trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "COST."

How do I buy shares of Costco Wholesale?

Shares of COST stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include WeBull, Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Robinhood, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab.
Compare Top Brokerages Here.

What is Costco Wholesale's stock price today?

One share of COST stock can currently be purchased for approximately $564.96.

How much money does Costco Wholesale make?

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) has a market capitalization of $250.33 billion and generates $242.29 billion in revenue each year. The retailer earns $5.84 billion in net income (profit) each year or $14.16 on an earnings per share basis.

How many employees does Costco Wholesale have?

The company employs 304,000 workers across the globe.

Does Costco Wholesale have any subsidiaries?
The following companies are subsidiares of Costco Wholesale: Costco De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Costco Insurance Agency Inc., Costco President Taiwan Inc., Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd., Costco Wholesale Korea Ltd., Costco Wholesale Membership Inc., Costco Wholesale United Kingdom Ltd., Innovel Solutions, NW Re Ltd., and PriceCostco International Inc..
Read More
How can I contact Costco Wholesale?

Costco Wholesale's mailing address is 999 LAKE DRIVE, ISSAQUAH WA, 98027. The official website for the company is www.costco.com. The retailer can be reached via phone at (425) 313-8100, via email at investor@costco.com, or via fax at 425-313-6593.

This page (NASDAQ:COST) was last updated on 10/1/2023 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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