NASDAQ:COST

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

961.10
-0.75 (0.08%)
as of Aug 14, 2026, 8:00:00 pm Market Open.
655 watching
0
Investor Insights
star iconAug 16, 2026, 12:00 am

This summary was created by AI, based on 52 opinions in the last 12 months.

Costco Wholesale Corporation has garnered significant acclaim for its strong business model, loyal customer base, and consistent growth prospects. Experts highlight Costco's ability to expand its store count and leverage its membership model to maintain steady revenue streams. However, concerns about the stock's high price-to-earnings (PE) ratio, which many analysts suggest hovers around the mid-40s to 50s, are prevalent. Despite its robust performance and favorable market position, the stock is considered to be overvalued, leading to mixed sentiments among investors regarding entry points and potential pullbacks. Overall, while there is appreciation for Costco's operations, the prevailing valuation remains a frequent topic of discussion, causing some investors to advocate for caution.

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Consensus
Bullish
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Valuation
Overvalued
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Similar
Walmart, WMT

Most recent Opinions go here

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BUY ON WEAKNESS

A better growth name than ATD. Take a look.

COMMENT

It's one of the best business on Earth. Customers and employees love Costco. They are opening new stores, so there's ample runway. However, the PE of around 44x is high. Same-store sales growth has slowed slightly. But it's good to hold long term.

BUY ON WEAKNESS

It got too expensive, and now trades at 46x PE. If it falls to 45x expects a major move higher. Has long owned this.

DON'T BUY

He sold it last October at $1015. The chart began to break down. 

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Apr 03/25, Up 0.55%)

Inflation is really hard out there. Real pressure to save money, and this name is among the low-cost providers. Sees it continuing to do well, despite a difficult environment for so many people.

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Sep 02/25, Up 4%)

High valuation but is growing double digits, which it should do so for years. They have the lowest prices of products compared to peers. A lot of room to expand location. A great business model. He will hold this forever.

PARTIAL BUY

Buy some now at 47x PE, then more at 45x. Likes it. Is up 13% this year

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Jun 25/25, Up 1%)

A buy-and-hold forever. Omnichannel retailer, as it's increasingly seeing acceleration in e-commerce and delivery channels.

TRADE

He wrote an in-the-money call at $985. It was trading over $1,000 yesterday down to $950 today. He covered half the position and just closed it out at $5. He netted a $22 profit. Earnings were good, as expected. You can add to it at these levels, despite the high PE.

DON'T BUY

She once owned it for many years, but the chart is now broken. People are concerned that their growth and high multiple are in jeopardy.

DON'T BUY
COST vs. WMT

Both great companies, but both very expensive. COST is over 50x PE, and WMT's in the 40s. Fairly low-margin model. Reliant on the consumer, and everyone's affected when that consumer is struggling.

WMT reported today. Earnings were OK, but projections on future quarters were tough. High fuel prices were highlighted.

TOP PICK

No valuation concerns, as it's been expensive every day he's looked at it over 30 years. Compounded shareholder total return of 17.5% since its IPO. Third-largest retailer in the world. Procurement clout and supply-chain efficiencies produce gross margins of 11%. Still expanding store count. Periodically increases membership fees. Superior same-store sales performance driven by traffic and basket size.

Lots of ways to win. Yield is 0.59%.

(Analysts’ price target is $1092.97)
HOLD

The only consumer staples he owns are COST and KO, which are still growing.

PARTIAL BUY

Leave some $$ in your technology sleeve to allocate to one of the end users -- an industrial (TT) or big US bank (JPM or Citi) or retail/logistics (WMT or COST).

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Mar 19/25, Up 9%)

A good name to hold in consumer staples when people panic about market volatility, recession, or the like. Defensive plus steady growth. Runup since January, now trending sideways. Business model is what makes it stand out.

Sees ~11-12% upside from here. Of course, that could change. Ranks 10/10 for her.

Showing 1 to 15 of 421 entries

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Frequently Asked Questions

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation stock symbol?

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a American stock, trading under the symbol COST (previously COST-Q on Stockchase) on the NASDAQ (COST). It is usually referred to as NASDAQ:COST or COST

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation a buy or a sell?

In the last year, 44 stock analysts issued a Buy, Sell, or Hold rating on COST (previously COST-Q on Stockchase). 32 analysts recommended to BUY and 9 analysts recommended to SELL the stock. The latest stock analyst rating is BUY on WEAKNESS. Read the latest stock experts' ratings for Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation a good investment or a top pick?

Costco Wholesale Corporation was recommended as a Top Pick by Stan Wong on 2026-08-13. Read the latest stock experts ratings for Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Why is Costco Wholesale Corporation stock dropping?

Earnings reports or recent company news can cause the stock price to drop. Read stock experts' recommendations for Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation worth watching?

Costco Wholesale Corporation is followed by 655 investors on Stockchase and is a trending stock that is worth watching.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation stock price?

On 2026-08-14, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) stock closed at a price of $961.10.

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4(44)
Based on 44 expert opinions: 32 buy 3 hold 9 sell