Equities Analysts Set Expectations for COST Q2 Earnings

Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) – William Blair upped their Q2 2025 EPS estimates for Costco Wholesale in a research report issued on Wednesday, January 8th. William Blair analyst P. Blee now anticipates that the retailer will post earnings of $4.39 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $4.29. The consensus estimate for Costco Wholesale’s current full-year earnings is $17.83 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for Costco Wholesale’s FY2026 earnings at $20.06 EPS.

COST has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $950.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $876.00 to $995.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $936.94 on Friday. Costco Wholesale has a 12 month low of $667.64 and a 12 month high of $1,008.25. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $947.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $898.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $415.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.02, a PEG ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 1st were paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.50%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Pierre Riel sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $896.71, for a total transaction of $1,793,420.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,155,409.10. This represents a 16.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total transaction of $1,266,866.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,514,232. The trade was a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Fairway Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 230.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 66 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $58,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 329.4% in the 3rd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $71,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories.