Issaquah, Washington-based Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) operates membership warehouses in the United States and internationally. The company has a market cap of $414.7 billion and offers merchandise, including sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli, liquor, and tobacco, as well as non-food merchandise, including appliances, small electronics, health and beauty aids, and more.
The company is expected to release its Q4 2026 earnings soon. Ahead of the event, analysts expect the company’s EPS to be $6.51 on a diluted basis, up 10.9% from $5.87 in the year-ago quarter. The company has exceeded Wall Street’s EPS estimates in three of its last four quarters.
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For fiscal 2026, analysts project the company’s EPS to be $20.42, up 13.5% from $17.99 in fiscal 2025. Moreover, its EPS is expected to rise by roughly 10.2% year over year (YoY) to $22.50 in fiscal 2027.
www.barchart.com COST stock has grown marginally over the past 52 weeks, lagging behind the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 16.5% rise and the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLP) 3.4% rise during the same time frame.
www.barchart.com On July 9, COST stock fell 4.2% after the retailer reported a slowdown in June comparable sales from the previous month. The slowdown can be traced back to an unacceptably high Consumer Price Index (CPI), which came in at a 3.5% year-over-year increase in June. Despite slowing from May’s CPI values, economists have pointed out that the slowdown was likely caused by a drop in energy prices, as the situation in the Middle East ebbs and flows toward an acceptable state that affects the entire economy. Even with a month-over-month fall in CPI, food prices rose 0.2%, as did grocery prices, which also rose 0.2%, contributing to an overall decrease in sales for retailers as customers are choosing to spend their disposable income more sparingly amid rising market prices for necessary commodities.
Analysts are moderately bullish on COST, with the stock having a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Among the 36 analysts covering the stock, 19 are recommending a “Strong Buy,” four suggest a “Moderate Buy,” 12 suggest a “Hold,” and one suggests a “Strong Sell” for the stock. COST’s average analyst price target is $1,100.69, indicating an upside of 17.7% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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