Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Trading 2.9% Higher – What’s Next?

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 2nd, 2026

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) shares traded up 2.9% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $952.64 and last traded at $951.67. 2,759,650 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 23% from the average session volume of 2,242,780 shares. The stock had previously closed at $924.67.

More Costco Wholesale News

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising earnings estimates for Costco, with Erste Group Bank nudging up its FY2027 EPS view above consensus, reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term profit growth. Estimate raise article
Positive Sentiment: New warehouse openings in Texas, South Carolina, and Southern California highlight Costco’s continued store expansion, which can support sales growth, membership gains, and market share. New warehouse expansion article
Positive Sentiment: Several articles reiterated Costco’s appeal as a long-term compounding stock thanks to its value proposition, membership loyalty, and steady cash generation, which may keep investor sentiment constructive. Passive income article
Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pieces asked whether a stock split could happen in 2026 now that COST trades below $1,000; this may attract attention, but it does not change fundamentals. Stock split article
Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary also pointed out that Costco remains expensive on earnings after a strong multi-year run, suggesting the stock’s valuation may limit upside if growth moderates. Valuation article
Negative Sentiment: One analysis warned that Costco’s fuel-related traffic boost may be losing momentum as gas prices fall, creating execution risk for a key growth engine and potentially pressuring the stock. Fuel traffic risk article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on COST. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on COST

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $422.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $992.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $972.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.