Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Up 1.3% – Here’s What Happened
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyCostco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) was up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $1,005.54 and last traded at $996.58. Approximately 2,124,629 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 2,221,637 shares. The stock had previously closed at $983.86.
Key Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco plans aggressive warehouse growth — opening about 28 warehouses in FY26 and targeting more than 30 annually, which supports long‑term sales and membership growth. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Expansion of Costco Business Centres across Canada increases B2B exposure and incremental sales channels outside traditional warehouses. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland sparkling energy drinks mark a push into higher‑margin private‑label beverages; this can boost member value, margins and pressure competitors. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding gas infrastructure and programs that drive traffic (and member loyalty), which can support in‑store sales even as national pump prices rise. Read More. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Tests of automated pay stations could materially speed checkout and lower labor intensity — a positive efficiency catalyst if rolled out broadly. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Technical and market commentary is favorable (IBD stock of the day / strong composite ratings), which can attract momentum buyers and support the share price. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term investor pieces reiterate Costco’s historical outperformance but note valuation is high — a reminder the name is seen as a long‑duration growth/quality play rather than a deep value buy today. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: Feature articles highlight Costco’s resilience amid market turmoil but caution that rising input costs could pressure margins later. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit alleges Costco raised prices then sought tariff refunds from the government — legal, regulatory and reputational risk that could draw scrutiny and potential costs. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts note Walmart’s e‑commerce, advertising and omnichannel scale could outpace Costco in certain areas, presenting competitive pressure on growth and margins. Read More.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms have weighed in on COST. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Twenty-two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.
Get Our Latest Analysis on COST
Costco Wholesale Price Performance
The stock has a market capitalization of $442.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $986.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $938.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.04%.
Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale
In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 5,596 shares of company stock valued at $5,272,388. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
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.