Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$950.20 +7.95 (+0.84%)

As of 02:52 PM Eastern

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Costco Wholesale - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Moderate Buy

Based on 33 Analyst Ratings

Sell
1

Hold
10

Buy
22

Based on 33 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 33 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 10 have given a hold rating, and 22 have given a buy rating for COST.

Consensus Price Target

$1,046.27
10.11% Upside

According to the 33 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Costco Wholesale, the average price target is $1,046.27. The highest price target for COST is $1,315.00, while the lowest price target for COST is $16.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 10.11% from the current price of $950.20.

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

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COST Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 10/8/25 to 10/8/26	1 Month Ago 9/8/25 to 9/8/26	3 Months Ago 7/10/25 to 7/10/26	1 Year Ago 10/8/24 to 10/8/25
Strong Buy	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy	22 Buy rating(s)	22 Buy rating(s)	22 Buy rating(s)	18 Buy rating(s)
Hold	10 Hold rating(s)	12 Hold rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	10 Hold rating(s)
Sell	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Sell rating(s)	0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$1,046.27	$1,056.03	$1,061.10	$1,073.60
Forecasted Upside	10.11% Upside	16.02% Upside	15.81% Upside	17.36% Upside
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy

COST Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.

COST Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Costco Wholesale	Consumer Staples Companies	Broader Market
Consensus Rating Score	2.64	2.22	2.52
Consensus Rating	Moderate Buy	Hold	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	10.26% Upside	165.71% Upside	20.27% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent COST News	Neutral News	Neutral News

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

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Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

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Date	Brokerage	Analyst	Action	Rating	Price Target	Report Date Upside/Downside
9/28/2026	Guggenheim 5 of 5 stars		Reiterated Rating	Neutral
9/28/2026	Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft 3 of 5 stars	Krisztina Katai 2 of 5 stars	Lower Target	Buy	$1,091.00 ➝ $1,079.00	+16.93%
9/28/2026	Argus 3 of 5 stars	Christopher Graja 2 of 5 stars	Reiterated Rating	Buy	$1,230.00	+33.29%
9/25/2026	Roth Capital Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Bill Kirk Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Sell	$781.00	-14.48%
9/25/2026	BMO Capital Markets Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Outperform
9/25/2026	Robert W. Baird Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Set Target		$1,175.00	+28.67%
9/25/2026	TD Cowen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Oliver Chen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Buy
9/25/2026	Raymond James Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Bobby Griffin Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Outperform	$1,100.00 ➝ $1,050.00	+17.12%
9/25/2026	HSBC Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Upgrade	Buy
9/25/2026	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target		$1,130.00 ➝ $1,100.00	+19.21%
Get the Latest News and Ratings for COST and Related Stocks Enter your email address below to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Costco Wholesale and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.
9/25/2026	Freedom Broker Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Georgy Vashchenko Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Buy	$1,030.00 ➝ $1,010.00	+9.62%
9/25/2026	DA Davidson Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Michael Baker Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral	$1,000.00 ➝ $1,040.00	+13.11%
9/25/2026	Truist Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Scot Ciccarelli Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Hold	$1,011.00 ➝ $955.00	+3.86%
9/25/2026	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Christopher Horvers Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Overweight	$1,100.00 ➝ $1,015.00	+10.39%
9/25/2026	Wells Fargo & Company Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Edward Kelly Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Equal Weight	$1,000.00 ➝ $950.00	+3.43%
9/25/2026	Royal Bank Of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Steven Shemesh Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Sector Perform	$1,000.00	+8.87%
9/25/2026	Mizuho Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	David Belinger Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Outperform	$1,100.00 ➝ $1,065.00	+18.80%
9/25/2026	Sanford C. Bernstein Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Zhihan Ma Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Outperform	$1,144.00 ➝ $1,143.00	+27.50%
9/23/2026	BTIG Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Robert Drbul Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Buy	$1,125.00	+25.08%
9/22/2026	Evercore Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Outperform
9/17/2026	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Michael Lasser Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Buy
9/16/2026	Oppenheimer Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Rupesh Parikh Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Reiterated Rating	Outperform	$1,160.00	+28.96%
9/16/2026	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Robert Ohmes Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Buy	$1,200.00 ➝ $1,095.00	+22.17%
9/2/2026	Weiss Ratings Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy (B-) ➝ Hold (C+)
6/18/2026	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Steven Zaccone Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Neutral	$1,020.00	+7.53%
6/1/2026	HC Wainwright Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Buy
5/29/2026	The Goldman Sachs Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Buy	$1,088.00 ➝ $1,159.00	+21.36%
4/9/2026	Telsey Advisory Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Joseph Feldman Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Outperform	$1,125.00 ➝ $1,135.00	+10.17%
3/10/2026	Daiwa Securities Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral	$917.00 ➝ $975.00	-3.01%
2/17/2026	Rothschild & Co Redburn Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Neutral	$890.00 ➝ $1,000.00	-1.81%
2/3/2026	Gordon Haskett Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target		$1,000.00 ➝ $1,100.00	+13.59%
12/24/2025	Northcoast Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Chuck Cerankosky Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Set Target	Neutral ➝ Buy	$1,100.00	+28.69%
11/18/2025	Hovde Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Initiated Coverage	Market Perform	$16.00	-98.25%
9/26/2025	Morgan Stanley Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Overweight	$1,225.00 ➝ $1,130.00	+19.79%
9/18/2025	Wolfe Research Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Spencer Hanus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Initiated Coverage	Peer Perform
8/5/2025	Erste Group Bank Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Downgrade	Buy ➝ Hold
5/29/2025	Stifel Nicolaus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Mark Astrachan Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Set Target		$1,035.00	+3.10%
5/29/2025	Loop Capital Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Laura Champine Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Lower Target	Buy	$1,115.00 ➝ $1,110.00	+10.57%
4/4/2025	Cfra Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	A. Sundaram Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold ➝ Moderate Buy
3/10/2025	Barclays Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating	Karen Short Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the analyst's recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight	$940.00 ➝ $980.00	+1.63%
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10/17/2024	Tigress Financial Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the firm's recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Buy	$1,065.00	+20.07%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Thursday at 02:38 PM ET.

Should I Buy Costco Wholesale Stock? COST Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Costco Wholesale pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Costco Wholesale
Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Costco Wholesale Corporation:

Costco Wholesale Corporation shares are currently trading at $935.85, which is significantly below the 52-week high of $1,096.50, potentially offering a more attractive entry point for investors seeking exposure to a high-quality retailer that has recently beaten earnings estimates with $6.75 in EPS compared to the consensus of $6.54.
The company demonstrated strong membership economics by ending fiscal 2026 with 84.1 million paid members and a 92.3% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada, reinforcing its competitive moat and providing a stable, recurring revenue stream that supports long-term shareholder value.
E-commerce has become a significant growth engine for Costco Wholesale Corporation, with digital sales exceeding $33 billion in fiscal 2026, driven by faster delivery, personalization, and AI-powered search capabilities that help capture additional online demand and modernize the retail experience.
Recent price reductions on selected Kirkland Signature products, aided by tariff refunds and private-label flexibility, are expected to widen the company's value advantage, which may strengthen member retention and support traffic during a challenging retail environment.
Costco Wholesale Corporation's growing cash balance has prompted speculation that the company could declare a special dividend later this year, which would serve as a potential catalyst for shareholder returns beyond the current annualized dividend of $5.88.

Costco Wholesale
Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Costco Wholesale Corporation for these reasons:

The stock carries a premium valuation with a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.08, which leaves less room for disappointment and has led some analysts to downgrade the stock due to limited upside expectations despite continued revenue and profit growth.
Costco Wholesale Corporation has underperformed the broader market recently, with the stock down 10% over the last six months while the S&P 500 is up 17%, raising concerns about whether the current valuation is justified relative to its recent price action.
Consumer advocate Clark Howard has criticized Costco's Medicare offerings as enrollment growth slows to 3.8%, potentially creating member dissatisfaction or regulatory scrutiny that could impact the company's reputation and broader service offerings.
Recent insider activity shows a trend of selling, with EVP Claudine Adamo selling 2,200 shares on September 29, 2026, and other executives like Kenneth D Denman and Teresa A Jones also reducing their stakes in the first half of 2026, which may signal caution among company leadership.
Short interest in Costco Wholesale Corporation has fluctuated, with shares shorted increasing to 7,360,574 in the most recent reporting period, indicating that some investors are betting against the stock's future performance despite its strong fundamentals.

COST Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 33 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Costco Wholesale is $1,046.27, with a high forecast of $1,315.00 and a low forecast of $16.00.

33 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 10 hold ratings and 22 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" COST shares.

According to analysts, Costco Wholesale's stock has a predicted upside of 10.11% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Costco Wholesale's stock had 2 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Costco Wholesale has been rated by research analysts at Argus, Bank of America, BMO Capital Markets, BTIG Research, DA Davidson, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Evercore, Freedom Broker, Guggenheim, HSBC, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mizuho, Oppenheimer, Raymond James Financial, Robert W. Baird, Roth Capital, Royal Bank Of Canada, Sanford C. Bernstein, TD Cowen, Truist Financial, UBS Group, Weiss Ratings, and Wells Fargo & Company in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Costco Wholesale more than other "consumer staples" companies. The consensus rating for Costco Wholesale is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "consumer staples" companies is Hold. Learn more on how COST compares to other companies.

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MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Costco Wholesale analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/28/2026.

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Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Costco Wholesale - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Consensus Price Target

COST Analyst Ratings Over Time

COST Analyst Recommendations By Month

COST Price Targets by Month

Costco Wholesale Stock vs. The Competition

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Should I Buy Costco Wholesale Stock? COST Pros and Cons Explained

Costco Wholesale
Bull Case

Costco Wholesale
Bear Case

COST Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

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Today's Analyst Ratings

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Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Costco Wholesale - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Consensus Price Target

COST Analyst Ratings Over Time

COST Analyst Recommendations By Month

COST Price Targets by Month

Costco Wholesale Stock vs. The Competition

Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Should I Buy Costco Wholesale Stock? COST Pros and Cons Explained

Costco Wholesale Bull Case

Costco Wholesale Bear Case

COST Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Costco Wholesale's forecast for 2026?

Should I buy or sell Costco Wholesale stock right now?

Does Costco Wholesale's stock price have much upside?

Has Costco Wholesale been upgraded or downgraded by Wall Street analysts recently?

What analysts cover Costco Wholesale?

Do Wall Street analysts like Costco Wholesale more than its competitors?

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Today's Analyst Ratings

Top-Rated Stocks

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Brokerages With Costco Wholesale Recommendations

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Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools

Costco Wholesale
Bull Case

Costco Wholesale
Bear Case