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COSTCOSTConsumer Defensive · Discount Stores

COST Stock Forecast: Costco Wholesale Corp. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 4 Sept 2026
$916
−1.04% on the day

The 39 Wall Street analysts covering Costco Wholesale Corp. hold a median 12-month price target of $1,100 — +20.1% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 49 of 100 as at 5 Sept 2026 — in the lower half.

Market cap
$406.1B
Ticker Nerd rank
49 / 100
Median analyst target
$1,100
Analysts covering
39
Revenue$70.5B+11.6% y/y
Operating income$2.8B
Net income$2.2B
Free cash flow$2.0B
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 31 May 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−3.1%
1M
−3.4%
YTD
+6.7%
1Y
−3.6%
From 52W high
−16.2%
From 52W low
+8.2%
$846
$1,093
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

COST stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Costco Wholesale Corp. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 5 Sept 2026
49 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Volatility
97
Issuance
77
Quality
75
Revisions
62
Growth
57
Accruals
53
Momentum
35
Value
25
Size
1

Volatility (97): The share price has been relatively steady.

Value (25): The shares cost a lot relative to the profits and assets behind them.

Size (1): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

COST stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on COST, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$700$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26COSTHigh $1,315Median $1,100Low $740

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says39 analysts
23 Buy14 Hold2 Sell
Low $740Median $1,100High $1,315

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +20.1% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first
DateFirmActionRatingTarget
3 Sept 2026BTIGReiteratesBuy$1,125
3 Sept 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral$1,000
9 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight$1,110 → $1,100
9 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight—
18 June 2026CitigroupReinstatesNeutral$1,020
4 June 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
3 June 2026TD CowenReiteratesBuy—
1 June 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
29 May 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainsBuy—
29 May 2026BTIGReiteratesBuy—
29 May 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
29 May 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsHold—
20 May 2026UBSMaintainsBuy—
19 May 2026OppenheimerMaintainsOutperform—
10 Apr 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
9 Apr 2026Telsey Advisory GroupMaintainsOutperform—
9 Apr 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight—
31 Mar 2026Telsey Advisory GroupMaintainsOutperform—
6 Mar 2026BMO CapitalMaintainsOutperform—
6 Mar 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. COST appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

COST vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 4 Sept 2026, Costco Wholesale Corp. returned −3.6% against +20.0% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

COST vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
90100110120Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26COSTS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

COST analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+0.3%
Analysts raising
4
Analysts cutting
4
Fundamentals

Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
46.1×

Cheaper than 16% of US stocks

Price / sales
1.4×

Cheaper than 63% of US stocks

Price / book
24.6×

Cheaper than 4% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
29.3×

Cheaper than 9% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
21.5%

Higher than 71% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
45.6%

Higher than 73% of US stocks

Gross margin
12.8%

Higher than 12% of US stocks

Operating margin
3.7%

Higher than 52% of US stocks

Net margin
3.0%

Higher than 55% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
29.2%

Higher than 87% of US stocks

Return on assets
8.7%

Higher than 90% of US stocks

Dividend yield
0.6%

Higher than 13% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Costco Wholesale Corp. has a market value of $406.1B and an enterprise value of $404.5B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 31 May 2026: $293.6B. The latest quarter grew 21.5% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $8.8B, a 3.0% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $19.88.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 31 May 2026: $8.8B, after $6.2B of capital spending.

  • Costco Wholesale Corp. spent $883.0M on share buybacks and $2.3B on dividends in the twelve months to 31 May 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 443.5M.

  • Trailing P/E: 46.1×; forward P/E: 40.5× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 0.64%, paying out 27% of earnings.

  • Costco Wholesale Corp. employs 341,000 people — $861K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 31 May 2026 · market figures as at 6 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

COST vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelDiscount Stores
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
COSTCostco Wholesale Corp.$406.1B
49
WMTWalmart, Inc.$853.9B
44
TGTTarget Corp.$74.5B
96
DGDollar General Corp.$29.3B
81
DLTRDollar Tree, Inc.$25.3B
83
KOThe Coca-Cola Co.*$378.8B
90
PGProcter & Gamble Co.*$341.0B
58

* Nearest Consumer Defensive names by size — few discount stores companies of this scale trade in the US universe.

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Costco Wholesale Corp. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest COST news & analysis

Why Does Amazon Trade at a Discount to Walmart and Costco? Here's the Only Answer That Makes Sense.

The Motley Fool · 7 Sept 2026neutral

The article examines why Amazon's price-to-earnings ratio has fallen steeply since 2024 while Costco's and Walmart's ratios have moved higher, and explains the reasoning behind these divergent moves.

Why it matters — A Costco watcher would care because the article highlights how Costco's valuation ratio has risen relative to Amazon's, offering context on how the market is valuing Costco.

1 Stat That Makes Costco Hard to Ignore this September

The Motley Fool · 7 Sept 2026positive

Costco maintained strong sales through its fiscal 2026, with digital sales momentum remaining healthy late in the year. The article highlights this as a key stat making the company hard to ignore in September.

Why it matters — A Costco watcher would care because sustained sales strength and healthy digital momentum indicate ongoing business momentum heading into the new fiscal year.

Costco's Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong

Zacks Investment Research · 7 Sept 2026positive

Costco reported fourth-quarter net sales of $93.9 billion, up 11.3% year over year, while digitally enabled comparable sales rose 19.5%, outpacing company-wide growth.

Why it matters — The strong quarter and continued digital sales momentum signal robust demand across Costco's channels for COST watchers.

Most national retailers close on 2 holidays. Costco shuts down for 7.

Business Insider · 7 Sept 2026neutral

Business Insider reports that Costco closes its US stores on seven holidays each year, far more than most national retailers, which close on two. The retailer's former CFO Richard Galanti said cost was never a consideration in that decision.

Why it matters — COST watchers would note this as a signal of the company's distinctive operating culture and employee-focused practices, which are part of its broader business model.

Costco Has Grown Its Membership Base no Matter What the Economy Has Done. Does That Make It a Forever Hold?

The Motley Fool · 5 Sept 2026positive

Costco has consistently grown its membership base across economic conditions, with its low-cost model driving member renewal rates of roughly 90% or higher. The article highlights how the company's membership growth has appeared recession-proof.

Why it matters — COST watchers would care because sustained membership growth and high renewal rates signal strong, recurring revenue and customer loyalty that could help support the company through economic downturns.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about COST stock

What is the COST stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 39 Wall Street analysts covering Costco Wholesale Corp. have a median 12-month price target of $1,100, with estimates ranging from $740 to $1,315. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is COST stock a buy right now?

Of the 39 analysts covering Costco Wholesale Corp., 23 rate it a Buy, 14 a Hold and 2 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Costco Wholesale Corp. 49 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 5 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank COST?

As at 5 Sept 2026, Costco Wholesale Corp. ranks 49 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Volatility (97 of 100).

Will COST stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 39 analysts implies +20.1% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Costco Wholesale Corp. 49 out of 100 as at 5 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the COST stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Costco Wholesale Corp. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for COST are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $740 to $1,315 over the next 12 months.

How has COST stock performed over the past year?

Costco Wholesale Corp. returned -3.6% over the 12 months to 4 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Costco Wholesale Corp. do?

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a global membership-based warehouse club operator that serves consumers and businesses through a broad range of bulk merchandise and everyday essentials. Costco Wholesale Corporation offers nationally branded and private-label products across food, household goods, electronics, apparel, health and beauty items, and home furnishings, alongside in-store services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical centers, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation.

What is the latest news on COST?

The most recent item we track (The Motley Fool, 7 Sept 2026): "Why Does Amazon Trade at a Discount to Walmart and Costco? Here's the Only Answer That Makes Sense.". The article examines why Amazon's price-to-earnings ratio has fallen steeply since 2024 while Costco's and Walmart's ratios have moved higher, and explains the reasoning behind these divergent moves.

Company

About Costco Wholesale Corp.

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a global membership-based warehouse club operator that serves consumers and businesses through a broad range of bulk merchandise and everyday essentials. Costco Wholesale Corporation offers nationally branded and private-label products across food, household goods, electronics, apparel, health and beauty items, and home furnishings, alongside in-store services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical centers, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation. The company also supports digital retail through e-commerce, business centers, and travel-related services, extending its reach beyond the traditional warehouse model. Costco Wholesale Corporation operates across the United States and numerous international markets, using its warehouse format and membership model to position itself as a major player in consumer staples and retail distribution.

CEO Mr. Ron M. Vachris · 341,000 employees · United States · https://www.costco.com