Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Sep 24th, 2026

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21, FiscalAI reports. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock traded down $8.22 during trading on Thursday, reaching $896.48. 2,805,420 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,185,807. The company has a market cap of $397.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.09, a PEG ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.86. Costco Wholesale has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $935.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $968.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Costco is expected to report roughly $94 billion in revenue and approximately $6.53–$6.59 in earnings per share. Strong traffic, digital sales and membership growth could reinforce the company’s defensive consumer position. Costco Q4 Preview: Members Are Engaged Despite Ongoing Macro Uncertainty
Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains a potential catalyst: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy rating and a $1,125 price target, citing durable growth drivers. Other reported targets are also well above the current level. Analyst Reiterates Buy on Costco
Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on renewal rates, membership additions, comparable sales and the quality of earnings rather than headline revenue alone. Renewal rates above 90% and Costco’s value proposition could support long-term stability, but the results must justify a high earnings multiple. Costco’s Sales Are In – Now Comes the Real Test
Negative Sentiment: The benefit from Costco’s 2024 membership-fee increase may be fading. Because membership fees contribute about half of operating income, slowing fee-related growth could pressure future earnings momentum. Costco’s Membership Fee Boost Is About to Run Out
Negative Sentiment: Margin risks—including tariffs, merchandise costs and possible tariff refunds—are key concerns. Investors also want clarity on whether higher gas prices help fuel sales or hurt household budgets. With shares valued at about 45 times earnings, even a solid quarter could disappoint if margins or guidance are weak. Costco Q4 Preview: Healthy Earnings, Margin Risks and Anticipations

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,091.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,052.65.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on COST

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.