Should I buy or sell Costco Wholesale stock right now?

24 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last twelve months. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 18 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street 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 target for 2024?

24 analysts have issued 1 year price targets for Costco Wholesale's stock. Their COST share price targets range from $550.00 to $870.00. On average, they expect the company's share price to reach $691.28 in the next year. This suggests that the stock has a possible downside of 3.0%. View analysts price targets for COST or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts .

How have COST shares performed in 2024?

Costco Wholesale's stock was trading at $660.08 at the beginning of 2024. Since then, COST shares have increased by 7.9% and is now trading at $712.54. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here .

Are investors shorting Costco Wholesale?

Costco Wholesale saw a decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 6,360,000 shares, a decrease of 5.9% from the March 15th total of 6,760,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,120,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days. Approximately 1.4% of the company's stock are sold short. View Costco Wholesale's Short Interest .

When is Costco Wholesale's next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, May 30th 2024. View our COST earnings forecast .

How can I listen to Costco Wholesale's earnings call?

Costco Wholesale will be holding an earnings conference call on Thursday, May 30th at 5:00 PM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link .

How were Costco Wholesale's earnings last quarter?

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March, 7th. The retailer reported $3.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.62 by $0.09. The retailer earned $58.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $59.11 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.73% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 28.80%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.30 earnings per share. Read the conference call transcript .

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

Costco Wholesale announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.16 per share on Friday, May 10th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 25th. This is a boost from the stock's previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. Read our dividend analysis for COST .

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 0.57%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 26.68%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, COST will have a dividend payout ratio of 23.50% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. 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) , ProShares Ultra Consumer Staples (UGE) , Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) , Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) , iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (KXI) , VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) , iShares U.S. Consumer Focused ETF (IEDI) and American Customer Satisfaction ETF (ACSI) .

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

Costco Wholesale same-store sales rose 10% during the month of March. Costco Wholesale shares climbed by 0% in the first full-day of trading following the report.

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) .

Who are Costco Wholesale's major shareholders?

Costco Wholesale's stock is owned by many different institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include Global Assets Advisory LLC (0.16%), Los Angeles Capital Management LLC (0.07%), Congress Asset Management Co. MA (0.06%), Sarasin & Partners LLP (0.06%), Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC (0.03%) and Gateway Investment Advisers LLC (0.02%). Insiders that own company stock include Caton Frates, Claudine Adamo , Daniel M Hines , James C Klauer , James C Klauer , James P Murphy , Joseph P Portera , Kenneth D Denman , Mary Agnes Wilderotter , Patrick J Callans , Patrick J Callans , Pierre Riel, Richard A Galanti , Roland Michael Vachris , Russell D Miller , Susan L Decker , Timothy L Rose , W Craig Jelinek and Yoram Rubanenko. View institutional ownership trends .

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 Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here .

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

Followed 138 TimesTop Followed Idea EngineIdea Engine

NASDAQ:COST

Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Price, News & Analysis

→ Your Next Portfolio Star: Revealing 2024's Top Stock Pick (From Darwin) (Ad)

Free COST Stock Alerts

$711.25

-3.94 (-0.55%)

(As of 04/18/2024 ET)

Compare

Today's Range: $709.57
▼
$718.95
50-Day Range: $704.88
▼
$785.59
52-Week Range: $476.75
▼
$787.08

Volume: 1.85 million shs
Average Volume: 2.10 million shs
Market Capitalization: $315.44 billion

P/E Ratio: 46.52
Dividend Yield: 0.57%
Price Target: $691.28

Get Costco Wholesale alerts:

Costco Wholesale MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy
2.75 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 3.0% Downside
$691.28 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
1.44% of Float Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: -3.92
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 0.64
Based on 91 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Selling Shares
$9.30 M Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 9.60%
From $15.84 to $17.36 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank^™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.

4.52 out of 5 stars

Retail/Wholesale Sector

35th out of 200 stocks

Variety Stores Industry

6th out of 11 stocks

2.4

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
Costco Wholesale has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.75, and is based on 18 buy ratings, 6 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
Costco Wholesale has been the subject of 10 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

5.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
1.44% of the float of Costco Wholesale has been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
Costco Wholesale has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
Change versus previous month
Short interest in Costco Wholesale has recently decreased by 5.92%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

3.3

Dividend Strength

Dividend Yield
Costco Wholesale has a dividend yield of 0.57%, which is in the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.
Dividend Growth
Costco Wholesale has been increasing its dividend for 20 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of Costco Wholesale is 26.68%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, Costco Wholesale will have a dividend payout ratio of 23.50% next year. This indicates that Costco Wholesale will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

1.4

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
Costco Wholesale has received a -30.63% net impact score from Upright. The largest negative impact of Costco in category "GHG emissions" seems to be driven mostly by its "Physical retail of dairy products at a hypermarket", "Physical retail of goods at a hypermarket", "Physical retail of ready meals and snacks at a hypermarket", "Retail of frozen foods at a supermarket", "Physical retail of processed foods", and "Physical retail of car parts" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for Costco Wholesale is -3.92.

3.1

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
Costco Wholesale has a news sentiment score of 0.64. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.48 average news sentiment score of Retail/Wholesale companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 91 news articles for Costco Wholesale this week, compared to 49 articles on an average week.
Search Interest
Only 139 people have searched for COST on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -28% compared to the previous 30 days.
MarketBeat Follows
138 people have added Costco Wholesale to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 12% compared to the previous 30 days.

2.5

Company Ownership

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling
In the past three months, Costco Wholesale insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $9,303,768.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.18% of the stock of Costco Wholesale is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
68.48% of the stock of Costco Wholesale is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

1.9

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for Costco Wholesale are expected to grow by 9.60% in the coming year, from $15.84 to $17.36 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of Costco Wholesale is 46.60, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 140.57.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of Costco Wholesale is 46.60, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Retail/Wholesale sector average P/E ratio of about 21.76.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
Costco Wholesale has a PEG Ratio of 4.77. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.
Price to Book Value per Share Ratio
Costco Wholesale has a P/B Ratio of 15.22. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

Ad DTI

Special FREE offer on stock hotsheets

These sheets tell you the exact day you should consider buying a stock… And the exact day you should consider selling it… All based on TEN YEARS of historic data and trends. For example, like January 6th through the 12th with Apple… It’s gone up every single year for the last decade. Or like May 26th through June 11th with LULU… Again - it’s gone up every single year for the last decade. Then there’s July 1st through the 21st with Walmart… What happened to WMT?

Click here and I’ll show you

About Costco Wholesale Stock (NASDAQ:COST)

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 Stock Price History

30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart

COST Stock News Headlines

April 15, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Costco vs. Walmart: Revenue Comparison of Two Retail Giants (COST)

Costco and Walmart are 2 of the world's biggest retailers, but which is the better investment? Read more about these companies in our detailed breakdown.

April 15, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Costco vs. Walmart: Revenue Comparison of Two Retail Giants

Few companies are more synonymous with retail in the United States than Costco Wholesale Corp NASDAQ: COST and Walmart Inc. NYSE: WMT. While both retail giants have rewarded investors over the years, their business models and strategies differ drastically.

April 18, 2024 | DTI (Ad)

Special FREE offer on stock hotsheets

April 11, 2024 | marketbeat.com

PriceSmart Could Be the Smartest Buy of the Year (COST)

PriceSmart looks like a smart buy, with shares down 5% after a strong report and favorable outlook. This undervalued stock issued a special dividend worth 1.25%

April 8, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Institutions Think This Consumer Stock Could Break Higher

Markets are preparing for the coming interest rate cycle proposed by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). Though most sectors have priced in this potential pivot, some have yet to reflect this trend higher.

April 8, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Institutions Think This Consumer Stock Could Break Higher (COST)

PriceSmart is the stock where investment giants found the right opportunity to get above-average growth at the least risk possible. A cycle-beating business

April 5, 2024 | marketbeat.com

5 Stocks in the Current Bull Market with Upside to Come

The S&P 500 was up more than 10% in the first 3 months of 2024, soaring to new all-time highs on the back of a recovering economy and artificial intelligence excitement. With a new bull market following 2022's lengthy decline, investor and consumer sentiment is trending upward.

April 5, 2024 | marketbeat.com

5 Stocks in the Current Bull Market with Upside to Come (COST)

Explore our top picks for stocks to watch in the thriving bull market, including key strategies for diversification and risk management.

April 18, 2024 | DTI (Ad)

Special FREE offer on stock hotsheets

March 25, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Top 3 Stocks Bought By Members of Congress In the First Quarter

The first quarter of 2024 will soon end, making now an excellent time to recap where big money and insider knowledge are investing. Today, we're looking at the top three stocks bought by US Congresspeople in Q1 2024, and the list is telling.

March 25, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Top 3 Stocks Bought By Members of Congress In the First Quarter (COST)

The three hottest stocks bought by members of Congress are Palo Alto Networks, Costco, and Apple but who's buying? Read more to find out!

March 18, 2024 | marketbeat.com

Walmart: Here’s Your Chance to Get in Cheaper in 2024 (COST)

After a 3-for-1 stock split in January, shares of Walmart stock are looking more attractive to retail investors; here's why you may want to buy

April 18, 2024 | investorplace.com

3 Retail Stocks to Buy Now: Q2 Edition

April 18, 2024 | msn.com

Brush Fire Reaches Car In Port Chester Costco Parking Lot

April 18, 2024 | marketwatch.com

I bought an air fryer from Costco. Should I now buy gold?

April 18, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Gold Surges Past S&P 500 in Five-Year Growth

April 18, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Mama’s Creations Secures ‘Costco Roadshow’ with Six Branded Items for Members in Northeast Region

April 18, 2024 | fool.com

Does a Costco Membership Make Sense if You Live in a City?

April 18, 2024 | fool.com

Why Costco Wholesale Is Not Your Average Dividend Stock

April 18, 2024 | americanbankingnews.com

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Short Interest Update

April 17, 2024 | benzinga.com

Here's How Much $1000 Invested In Costco Wholesale 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

April 17, 2024 | fool.com

Get a $40 Costco Shop Card With This Deal for New Members

April 17, 2024 | proactiveinvestors.com

Costco is making is easy to invest in physical gold in ‘very fragmented' market

April 17, 2024 | fool.com

The Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $400 Right Now

April 17, 2024 | msn.com

Costco Stock (NASDAQ:COST): Thriving on Strong Sales and Customer Loyalty

April 17, 2024 | fool.com

Should You Buy Costco After Its 14% Dividend Hike?

April 16, 2024 | fool.com

Costco Is Having a Big Sale on Outdoor Gear. Don't Miss These 5 Discounts

See More Headlines

Receive COST Stock News and Ratings via Email

Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for Costco Wholesale and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.

Company Calendar

Ex-Dividend for 2/16 Dividend: 2/01/2024
Dividend Payable: 2/16/2024
Last Earnings: 3/07/2024
Today: 4/18/2024
Ex-Dividend for 5/10 Dividend: 4/25/2024
Dividend Payable: 5/10/2024
Next Earnings (Confirmed): 5/30/2024
Fiscal Year End: 8/31/2024

Get Stock Alerts

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Sector: Retail/Wholesale
Industry: Variety stores
Sub-Industry: Hypermarkets & Super Centers
Current Symbol: NASDAQ:COST
CUSIP: 22160K10
CIK: 909832
Web: www.costco.com
Phone: (425) 313-8100
Fax: 425-313-6593
Employees: 316,000
Year Founded: 1983

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Target: $691.28
High Stock Price Target: $870.00
Low Stock Price Target: $550.00
Potential Upside/Downside: -2.8%
Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
Rating Score (0-4): 2.75
Research Coverage: 24 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year): $15.29
Trailing P/E Ratio: 46.52
Forward P/E Ratio: 44.90
P/E Growth: 4.77
Net Income: $6.29 billion
Net Margins: 2.73%
Pretax Margin: 3.65%
Return on Equity: 28.80%
Return on Assets: 9.98%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.28
Current Ratio: 0.93
Quick Ratio: 0.43

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales: $242.29 billion
Price / Sales: 1.30
Cash Flow: $19.29 per share
Price / Cash Flow: 36.87
Book Value: $46.81 per share
Price / Book: 15.19

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares: 443,500,000
Free Float: 442,706,000
Market Cap: $315.44 billion
Optionable: Optionable
Beta: 0.77

Social Links

The 10 Best AI Stocks to Own in 2024

Wondering where to start (or end) with AI stocks? These 10 simple stocks can help investors build long-term wealth as artificial intelligence continues to grow into the future.

Get This Free Report

Key Executives

Mr. Ron M. Vachris (Age 59)
President, CEO & Director
Comp: $1.24M
Mr. Richard A. Galanti (Age 68)
Advisor & Director
Comp: $1.04M
Mr. Pierre Riel (Age 60)
Executive VP & COO of International Division
Comp: $1.42M
Mr. Russell D. Miller (Age 67)
Senior EVP and COO of Warehouse Operations - U.S. & Mexico
Comp: $911.54k
Mr. Gary Millerchip (Age 51)
Executive VP & CFO
Mr. Patrick J. Callans (Age 61)
Executive Vice President of Administration
David Sherwood
Vice President of Finance & Investor Relations
Mr. John Sullivan (Age 63)
Executive VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Sheri Flies
Senior Vice President of Global Sustainability & Compliance
Peter Gruening
Senior VP of Membership, Marketing & Member Service Centers

Key Competitors

View All Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

View All Insider Transactions
View All Institutional Transactions

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

Pros

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

Costco's diversified product range, including groceries, electronics, and apparel, provides stability and resilience in various market conditions.
Strong membership model with loyal customers, ensuring a steady revenue stream and customer retention.
Expansion into international markets like China and Japan offers growth opportunities and diversification.
Costco's online presence and e-commerce initiatives cater to changing consumer preferences and boost sales.
Current stock price is attractive for value investors looking for long-term growth potential.

Cons

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

Intense competition in the retail industry may impact Costco's market share and margins.
Costco's focus on bulk sales may limit appeal to certain consumer segments seeking smaller quantities.
Economic downturns could affect consumer spending, impacting Costco's sales and profitability.
Increasing labor costs and regulatory challenges may put pressure on Costco's operating expenses.
Fluctuations in commodity prices could impact Costco's margins and profitability.

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 Saturday, April 13, 2024. Please send any questions or comments about these Costco Wholesale pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

COST Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy or sell Costco Wholesale stock right now?: 24 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Costco Wholesale in the last twelve months. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 18 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street 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 target for 2024?: 24 analysts have issued 1 year price targets for Costco Wholesale's stock. Their COST share price targets range from $550.00 to $870.00. On average, they expect the company's share price to reach $691.28 in the next year. This suggests that the stock has a possible downside of 3.0%.
View analysts price targets for COST or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.
How have COST shares performed in 2024?: Costco Wholesale's stock was trading at $660.08 at the beginning of 2024. Since then, COST shares have increased by 7.9% and is now trading at $712.54.
View the best growth stocks for 2024 here.
Are investors shorting Costco Wholesale?: Costco Wholesale saw a decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 6,360,000 shares, a decrease of 5.9% from the March 15th total of 6,760,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,120,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days. Approximately 1.4% of the company's stock are sold short.
View Costco Wholesale's Short Interest.
When is Costco Wholesale's next earnings date?: The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, May 30th 2024.
View our COST earnings forecast.
How can I listen to Costco Wholesale's earnings call?: Costco Wholesale will be holding an earnings conference call on Thursday, May 30th at 5:00 PM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link.
How were Costco Wholesale's earnings last quarter?: Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March, 7th. The retailer reported $3.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.62 by $0.09. The retailer earned $58.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $59.11 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.73% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 28.80%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.30 earnings per share.
Read the conference call transcript.
How often does Costco Wholesale pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Costco Wholesale?: Costco Wholesale announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.16 per share on Friday, May 10th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 25th. This is a boost from the stock's previous quarterly dividend of $1.02.
Read our dividend analysis for COST.

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 0.57%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 26.68%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, COST will have a dividend payout ratio of 23.50% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
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), ProShares Ultra Consumer Staples (UGE), Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA), iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (KXI), VanEck Retail ETF (RTH), iShares U.S. Consumer Focused ETF (IEDI) and American Customer Satisfaction ETF (ACSI).
How were Costco Wholesale's same store sales last quarter?: Costco Wholesale same-store sales rose 10% during the month of March. Costco Wholesale shares climbed by 0% in the first full-day of trading following the report.
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).
Who are Costco Wholesale's major shareholders?: Costco Wholesale's stock is owned by many different institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include Global Assets Advisory LLC (0.16%), Los Angeles Capital Management LLC (0.07%), Congress Asset Management Co. MA (0.06%), Sarasin & Partners LLP (0.06%), Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC (0.03%) and Gateway Investment Advisers LLC (0.02%). Insiders that own company stock include Caton Frates, Claudine Adamo, Daniel M Hines, James C Klauer, James C Klauer, James P Murphy, Joseph P Portera, Kenneth D Denman, Mary Agnes Wilderotter, Patrick J Callans, Patrick J Callans, Pierre Riel, Richard A Galanti, Roland Michael Vachris, Russell D Miller, Susan L Decker, Timothy L Rose, W Craig Jelinek and Yoram Rubanenko.
View institutional ownership trends.
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 Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.
Compare Top Brokerages Here.
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

This page (NASDAQ:COST) was last updated on 4/18/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff

From Our Partners

Get 30 Days of MarketBeat All Access Free

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring
View the latest news, buy/sell ratings, SEC filings and insider transactions for your stocks. Compare your portfolio performance to leading indices and get personalized stock ideas based on your portfolio.
Stock Ideas and Recommendations
Get daily stock ideas from top-performing Wall Street analysts. Get short term trading ideas from the MarketBeat Idea Engine. View which stocks are hot on social media with MarketBeat's trending stocks report.
Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools
Identify stocks that meet your criteria using seven unique stock screeners. See what's happening in the market right now with MarketBeat's real-time news feed. Export data to Excel for your own analysis.

Start Your 30-Day Free Trial

Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Costco Wholesale MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Overall MarketRank™

Analyst's Opinion

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Change versus previous month

Dividend Strength

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score

Environmental Sustainability

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment

News Coverage This Week

Search Interest

MarketBeat Follows

Company Ownership

Earnings and Valuation

About Costco Wholesale Stock (NASDAQ:COST)

COST Stock Price History

COST Stock News Headlines

Company Calendar

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Price Target and Rating

Profitability

Debt

Sales & Book Value

Miscellaneous

Social Links

Key Executives

Key Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

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

Pros

Cons

COST Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Overall MarketRank^™