NASDAQ:COST

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

951.58
+16.55 (1.77%)
as of Jul 27, 2026, 8:00:00 pm Market Open.
653 watching
0
Investor Insights
star iconJul 27, 2026, 12:00 am

This summary was created by AI, based on 51 opinions in the last 12 months.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is widely recognized as a strong business, with both customers and employees expressing high satisfaction. Analysts note Costco’s capability for long-term growth through continuous store expansion and a successful membership model. However, concerns about its high price-to-earnings (PE) ratio—ranging from 44x to over 50x—dominate discussions, leading many experts to hesitate regarding its current valuation. While some maintain that Costco represents a buy-and-hold opportunity due to its consistency and business model, others emphasize that the high valuation may limit potential returns. Overall, Costco is viewed as a resilient company, navigating through economic challenges while continuing to please its loyal customer base.

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Consensus
Hold
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Valuation
Overvalued
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Similar
Walmart,WMT
BUY

WMT-N vs. COST-Q. Both names are core consumer staples companies. WMT-N has done a good job of transitioning to e-commence. COST-Q have this membership fee and every time they raise it, it all falls to the bottom line. She would prefer WMT-N because the multiple is lower, but would buy either one of them.

BUY
An essential retailer during lockdowns and was among the first to demand customers wear a mask. Seasonality suggests a strong holiday season for them starting now. They are improving their e-commerce operation, too.
HOLD
The pandemic drove grocery sales. This has had a great year and just rewarded shareholders with a special dividend. Hold onto this because it will continue to perform for years to come.
PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Aug 07/20, Up 6%) Continues to like it. An all-weather stock. Nothing has stopped their trajectory so regardless of the risks in the market, they have done well. They take very low margins which is great for consumers who can buy at rock-bottom prices. There is also less labour because it is a warehouse style store. A great business model.
BUY
If Biden wins COST has enough money on its books to pay a huge special dividend. With Biden winning, dividend taxes may rise, which would sput COST to pay their special dividend sooner than later.
BUY
Part of his Fear Factor portfolio of stocks that will thrive with or without government stimulus during Covid If you must shop in person, Costco has the safest, toughest policies, which demand you wear a mask, plus they offer the widest aisles for social distancing.
STRONG BUY

It reported great numbers yesterday. New customers will stick with them after Covid. Analysts keep underestimating the staying power of these Covid stocks. The stock went down after strong earnings, because analysts are skeptical about the duration of the pandemic. Memberships rise 5% annually. They have excellent managers who pay their staff well. With colder weather, their patio heaters will sell well, he predicts, because Costco sells it cheaper than Amazon. Let's face it: America has royally screwed up controlling the virus, so expects these Covid stocks to endure.

BUY

COST vs. WMT vs. AMZN Good management team, good long-term grower. Strategic, smart decisions. Walmart just jumps around too much. They should stick to their knitting, but instead management is always trying to play catch up in different arenas. But, quite frankly, the one to own in this space is Amazon.

BUY ON WEAKNESS
Wait for weakness. They keep delivering strong numbers, but also those are baked into the stock price. It often goes down after the quarterly report, even when it outperforms peers. He's hoping for a special dividend.
TOP PICK
With Covid, we all changed our habits. Has taken a lot of market share from small businesses. People want to shop once, in a big space. Everything's under one roof. Likes the membership plan and services like travel and delivery. Trading at an expensive 36x, but not a lot of businesses are comparable. Yield is 0.82%. (Analysts’ price target is $353.79)
COMMENT
Best retailer to invest in. He would hold off in investing in any of them right now. Large cap retailers are capturing market share and growing revenues. However, it's not going to last forever and the valuation has climbed up very quickly. Longer-term they are great retail franchises but expensive right now.
TOP PICK
A great all-weather company. Revenue has always remained stable going back 20 years. The stock cannot lose. The value proposition for customers is hard to argue. The gross margin is very low compared to peer groups. Retention rates are at 90%. Their e-commerce segment is also growing at 75%. (Analysts’ price target is $336.46)
WEAK BUY
Sobeys had an 18% increase in earnings even after the extra cost of front line workers. A lot of people are flocking to local supermarkets. As people become more comfortable wearing masks, visits to Costco will become much more meaningful. Longer term this company is effectively a tax on consumption. He prefers other options and would prefer to see this one a little bit cheaper.
TOP PICK
There is more growth coming as people are scared to go to restaurants. They care about their shareholders and there are years and years of growth ahead for their stores. (Analysts’ price target is $319.28)
TOP PICK

A defensive, low-beta name. COST hasn't participated in the current rally, but are a dominant name. Their membership renewal rates rate 90%. Their strategy is to sell high-quality goods at reasonable prices attracts customers. Also, they carry 3,700 items vs. 147,000 items at Walmart, so Costco can leverage their buying power. In a post-pandemic world, retail heavyweights like this will capture more market share. (Analysts’ price target is $319.28)

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