Stock·NASDAQ·Consumer Defensive
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST)
- Market cap
- $438.30B
- P/E
- 45.79
- Dividend yield
- 0.56%
- Street target
- $1,065.00median of 39 analysts
- 52-week range
- $844.06 $1,096.50
The short version
Where COST stands today, in four lines, and what CleaRank Financial AI makes of it.
COST at a glance
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST): Buy, 68/100 on CleaRank's AI score.
- Trend Up: the price is above both its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($933.79 and $966.12).
- Earnings COST beat estimates in 5 of its last 6 quarters, yet fell the next day after 2 of those beats.
- Insiders Insiders sold $31.8M and made no open-market purchases over the last 18 months.
- Valuation P/E of 45.8 against 24.2 for the Consumer Defensive sector: a premium to peers (+89%).
Figures as of October 17, 2026.
CleaRank Financial AI
CleaRank rates Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) Buy, with a model score of 68/100.
Trend adds the most to that score: the price is 2.38% above its 200-day average and 5.92% above its 50-day average. Valuation subtracts the most, because the P/E of 45.79 is 89.2% above the sector median, a premium to peers. The 50-day average is $933.79 and the 200-day average is $966.12. Across the past year the price gained 6.86%.
Only on CleaRank
Figures we compute ourselves from COST's own price, earnings and insider-filing history. Tap one to see it in context.
Price and trading
The chart, today's range and how far the price has moved over each period.
Trend checks
3/4Price above its 50-day average ›
The price of $989.11 is 5.9% above the 50-day simple moving average of $933.79.Price above its 200-day average ›
The price is 2.4% above the 200-day simple moving average of $966.12.50-day average above the 200-day ›
The 50-day average ($933.79) is 3.3% below the 200-day average ($966.12), the arrangement of a falling longer-term trend.In the upper half of its 52-week range ›
The price sits at 57% of its 52-week range, between $844.06 and $1,096.50.
COST share price
Pick a period: each tab shows how far COST has moved over it, to the last close.
Today's trading
Where COST sits inside today's range and its 52-week range.
Fundamentals
Valuation against the sector, and the revenue and earnings behind it.
Valuation and quality checks
4/5P/E below the sector median ›
The trailing P/E of 45.79 is 89.2% above the Consumer Defensive median of 24.2.P/S below the sector median ›
The price-to-sales ratio of 1.43 is 35.0% below the sector median of 2.2.Profitable over the last 12 months ›
Net income over the last 12 months was $9.2B on revenue of $303.2B, a net margin of 3.0%.Beat estimates in most recent reports ›
COST beat the EPS estimate in 5 of its last 6 reports.Pays a dividend ›
The trailing dividend yield is 0.56%, or $5.54 a share a year.
Key statistics
The headline figures for COST.
As of October 17, 2026, COST trades at $989.11, with a market value of $438.30B, a P/E ratio of 45.79 and a dividend yield of 0.56%.
What the numbers say
CleaRank Financial AI's reading of COST's valuation, growth and risks.
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) has a trailing P/E of 45.79, which is 89.2% above the Consumer Defensive median of 24.2. The peer comparison on this page rates the P/E as a premium to peers. Measured against sales, the P/S of 1.43 is 35.0% below the sector median P/S of 2.2. Trailing earnings stand at $21.36 a share.
Revenue grew 11.10% in the latest year, which is 5.8 percentage points faster than the sector median of 5.3%. Each dollar of sales turned into a net margin of 3.04% and an operating margin of 3.79%, and the return on equity of 28.40% sits above the sector median of 19.7%. Rounding out the picture are debt-to-equity of 0.28 and a trailing dividend yield of 0.56%, which works out to $5.54 a share each year.
Earnings came in ahead of forecasts in the September 24, 2026 report. EPS of $6.75 a share beat the $6.53 estimate by 3.37%. In the first session after the report, the share price climbed 2.93%.
Over its last 6 reports, COST topped the estimate 5 times; even so, 2 of those 5 beats were followed by a lower share price the next session. Looking ahead, analysts expect EPS of $22.78 this fiscal year (growth of 9.7%) and $24.96 the year after (growth of 9.5%).
Valuation leaves less margin for error: the P/E of 45.79 is 89.2% above the sector median, a premium to peers. Normal swings for COST run at about 1.07% a day. Over the last 18 months, insider sales totalled $31.8M with no open-market purchases; planned sales and tax sales on vesting shares make selling a weaker signal than buying.
COST against the Consumer Defensive sector
How COST compares with the median Consumer Defensive stock CleaRank tracks.
Price to earnings vs sector: COST trades at a significant premium to sector peers (+89%), suggesting market expectations for superior growth or market position.
Return vs SPY: Since May 6, 2025, COST has lost 2.1% against a gain of 36.6% for SPY.
Performance against SPY
COST and the Consumer Defensive sector fund over the same days.
Revenue and earnings
How much COST sells, and how much of it becomes profit.
Revenue growth: Revenue grew 8.2% in FY2025 to $275B, from $254B a year earlier.
Profit margin: The net margin was 2.9% in FY2025, up from 2.9% the year before.
Profitable: COST earned $8.1B in FY2025.
Earnings reality check
Did COST beat what analysts expected, and how did the stock react?
Earnings record: COST beat the analyst estimate in 5 of the last 6 quarters.
Market reaction: The stock fell in the first session after 2 of those 5 beats, so a beat has not been enough on its own.
| Report | Estimate | Actual | Surprise | First session | 5 sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2026after close | $6.53 | $6.75 | +3.37% | +2.93% | +2.06% |
| May 28, 2026after close | $4.92 | $4.93 | +0.20% | -3.91% | -2.30% |
| Dec 11, 2025after close | $4.28 | $4.50 | +5.14% | +0.00% | -3.04% |
| Sep 25, 2025after close | $5.80 | $5.87 | +1.21% | -2.90% | -2.81% |
| May 29, 2025after close | $4.23 | $4.28 | +1.18% | +3.12% | +0.21% |
| Mar 6, 2025after close | $4.10 | $4.02 | -1.95% | -6.07% | -13.25% |
As of October 17, 2026, COST has beaten the analyst EPS estimate in 5 of its last 6 reported quarters and fell in the first trading session after 2 of those beats; its latest report, on September 24, 2026, came in 3.37% above the estimate and the stock moved +2.93% in the first session.
The first session is the first full trading day on the news: the report day itself for a report before the open, the next day for one after the close. Surprise is actual EPS against the consensus estimate.
AI analysis and technicals
CleaRank's score and reasoning, the indicators behind it, and what the price moves with.
Momentum checks
2/3RSI not overbought or oversold ›
The 14-day RSI is 72.5, in overbought territory.RSI above 50 ›
An RSI of 72.5 is above the 50 midpoint, so buyers have had the upper hand over the last 14 days.MACD line above zero ›
The MACD line is positive, so the 12-day average is above the 26-day average.
CleaRank AI analysis of COST
The score, the reasoning behind it, and what could move the price next.
COST is in an uptrend. At $989.11, the stock sits 5.92% above its 50-day average of $933.79 and 2.38% above its 200-day average of $966.12. Even so, the 50-day average is 3.35% below the 200-day, a sign that the recovery has not yet pushed the shorter average past the longer one. Across the 52-week range, which runs from $844.06 to $1,096.50, today's price stands at 57% of the way up.
Momentum is running hot. A 14-day RSI of 72.5 places the stock in overbought territory, and the MACD line is positive. Over the past month the price has climbed 10.67%, over three months 5.13%, and over the past year 6.86%.
Earnings beat ›
The September 24, 2026 report beat the EPS estimate by 3.37%, and the share price rose 2.93% in the first session after it.
Source: Earnings report, September 24, 2026
Rating reaffirmed ›
RBC Capital kept its Sector Perform rating on October 9, 2026.
Source: Analyst action, RBC Capital, October 9, 2026
- Keep an eye on the two nearest levels. Above the price sits the 52-week high at $1,096.50, and below it sits the 200-day SMA at $966.12.
- A 14-day RSI of 72.5 is in the overbought zone, and the MACD line is positive. Readings above 70 or below 30 suggest momentum has been stretched.
- The share price rose 2.93% in the first session after the September 24, 2026 report. Across the last 6 reports, COST beat estimates in 5.
The trend is up because COST sits above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages ($933.79 and $966.12), which stand at $933.79 and $966.12. The 200-day SMA at $966.12 is the closest level beneath the price, so a drop through it would be the first warning sign.
The 52-week high at $1,096.50 is the next level overhead. With the RSI in overbought territory, a pause would not end the trend by itself, but a drop back out of the bullish zone would show momentum fading.
Technical indicators
Momentum and trend for COST, from its daily closes.
As of October 17, 2026, with COST at $989.11, its 14-day RSI is 72.5 (overbought territory), its 50-day simple moving average is $933.79 and its 200-day is $966.12.
Calculated by CleaRank on daily closes as of October 17, 2026: Wilder's 14-day RSI, 50- and 200-day simple moving averages, MACD line (12, 26).
What COST moves with
Correlation of daily returns over one year: +1 moves in step, 0 has no link, -1 moves the opposite way.
As of October 17, 2026, COST's 1-year correlation of daily returns is +0.26 with S&P 500 (SPY), +0.18 with Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), -0.07 with Bitcoin (BTC) and -0.02 with gold (XAU).
What Wall Street expects
The analysts' target range and how their ratings split.
Analysts checks
3/3Most analysts rate it a buy ›
24 of 39 analysts rate it a buy or strong buy, 13 a hold and 2 a sell.Median target above the price ›
The median 12-month target of $1,065.00 is 7.7% above the price.More buy ratings than three months ago ›
24 of 39 rate it a buy now, against 23 of 39 three months ago.
COST Wall Street View
12-month price targets
Ratings
Recent rating actions
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2026 | RBC Capital | Reiterates | Sector Perform |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Deutsche Bank | Maintains | Buy |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Argus Research | Reiterates | Buy |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Freedom Broker | Maintains | Buy |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Raymond James | Maintains | Outperform |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Roth Capital | Reiterates | Sell |
As of October 17, 2026, 39 Wall Street analysts cover COST: 24 rate it a buy or strong buy, 13 a hold and 2 a sell or strong sell. Their 12-month price targets range from $770.00 to $1,315.00, with a median of $1,065.00, 7.7% above the price of $989.11.
Source: TwelveData analyst consensus. Targets and ratings belong to the analysts, not to CleaRank.
A trade plan, if you want one
Entry, stop and target levels from the moving averages and recent volatility. Educational, not advice.
COST trade plan
Entry, stop and target levels, sized to your account. Change the bias or the risk and every level updates.
Long entry pick an entry style
Risk management
Profit targets (Based on Conservative Entry)
These levels come from COST's moving averages and recent volatility, not from a forecast. Educational levels, not financial advice; the full disclaimer is at the foot of the page.
Risk profile
How much COST tends to move, against the market and on its own.
The long record
COST's worst falls and recoveries, what $10,000 became, and which months have been kind to it.
Track record checks
4/4Average daily move under 2% ›
The price has moved 1.07% on an average day (30-day standard deviation of daily returns).Recovered from its worst fall ›
The worst fall was 26.2%, from April 2022 to May 2022, regained by November 2023.Most 1-year holds ended higher ›
89% of 1-year holding periods in the last 10 years ended with a gain.Beat the S&P 500 since the chart begins ›
$10,000 invested in October 2016 is now worth $78,516, against $42,055 in the S&P 500 (SPY).
COST Drawdowns & Recovery
As of October 17, 2026, COST's worst peak-to-trough fall over the last 10 years with dividends reinvested was -26.2% (April 2022 to May 2022); it regained that peak by November 2023, 18 months after the low, and 89% of 1-year holding periods ended with a gain.
From weekly closing values with dividends reinvested. A drawdown is the fall from the highest value reached so far to a later low.
Growth of $10,000
What $10,000 put into COST in October 2016 is worth now, against the same amount in the S&P 500.
Against the market: COST beat the S&P 500 over this period: $78,516 against $42,055.
A $10,000 investment in COST in October 2016 would be worth about $78,516 today with dividends reinvested, compared with about $42,055 for the same investment in the S&P 500 benchmark (also with dividends reinvested).
Seasonal patterns
Which calendar months have been kind to COST, and which have not.
Strongest month, November: an average of +4.92%, up in 9 of 10 years.
Weakest month, December: an average of -0.75%, up in 4 of 10 years.
This month, October: has averaged +1.61%, up in 5 of 9 years. Past seasonality does not repeat on schedule.
Over the last 10 years, COST's strongest calendar month has been November (average +4.92%, up in 9 of 10 years) and its weakest December (average -0.75%, up in 4 of 10 years).
Average return for each calendar month over the last 10 years, from weekly closing prices with dividends included.
Long-term scenarios
Thousands of simulated paths from the price history. A range of outcomes, not a forecast.
Monte Carlo projection
Thousands of simulated paths for $10,000 in COST, from its own past volatility. The shaded area holds 80% of them.
CleaRank's 10-year Monte Carlo simulation projects that a $10,000 investment in COST today could grow to about $26,845 by 2036 in the base case, with a 90th-percentile outcome near $65,873 and a 10th-percentile outcome around $10,940 (above the amount invested: over ten years most simulated paths of a rising, moderately volatile asset end higher). The simulation models price only; at today's 0.56% yield, dividends would add to these figures. Projections are statistical simulations, not guarantees.
COST Stock Price Prediction: 2030
The same simulation in share prices, year by year.
CleaRank's simulation projects a price near $1,468 for COST by 2030 in the base case, from $989 today (1.5x over 4 years). The 10th-percentile path ends near $832. These are outcomes of a Monte Carlo simulation run on COST's historical return distribution, not price targets, and they assume no dividends are reinvested.
| Year | 10th percentile | Base case | 90th percentile | range base today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | $822 | $1,092 | $1,450 | |
| 2028 | $807 | $1,205 | $1,800 | |
| 2029 | $814 | $1,330 | $2,175 | |
| 2030 | $832 | $1,468 | $2,590 | |
| 2031 | $859 | $1,621 | $3,057 |
Method: a lognormal simulation of COST's own volatility and capped historical trend, re-run daily; base case is the median path, the outer columns the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Insider trading
What the people running the company have bought and sold.
COST insider trading
Shares the company's directors and officers bought and sold, from their own filings.
Month by month
Open-market purchases above the line, sales below.
Insider buying: No insider bought COST shares on the open market in the last 18 months. Sales are often planned in advance or cover tax on vesting shares, so they say less than purchases would.
As of October 17, 2026, COST insiders reported 20 open-market sales worth $31.8M and no open-market purchases over the last 18 months; grants and option exercises are not counted.
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 2026 | Claudine Adamo
Officer
|
Sell | 2.2K | $2.0M |
| Sep 29, 2026 | Caton Frates
Officer
|
Sell | 800 | $733.3K |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Claudine Adamo
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Caton Frates
Officer
|
Grant | 4.6K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Teresa A Jones
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | James C Klauer
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Pierre Riel
Officer
|
Grant | 4.6K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Yoram B. Rubanenko
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Sep 10, 2026 | William Richard Wilcox
Officer
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Jeffrey S Raikes
Director
|
Grant | 5.2K | - |
| Jun 23, 2026 | Kenneth D Denman
Director
|
Sell | 885 | $847.3K |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Caton Frates
Officer
|
Sell | 700 | $695.1K |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Claudine Adamo
Officer
|
Sell | 730 | $732.2K |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Teresa A Jones
Officer
|
Grant | 300 | - |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Jeffrey S Raikes
Director
|
Grant | 5.1K | - |
| Jan 21, 2026 | Teresa A Jones
Officer
|
Sell | 850 | $838.3K |
| Jan 16, 2026 | Susan Lynne Decker
Director
|
Sell | 458 | $437.4K |
| Jan 16, 2026 | Gina Marie Raimondo
Director
|
Grant | 215 | - |
| Jan 14, 2026 | James C Klauer
Officer
|
Sell | 1.5K | $1.4M |
| Jan 9, 2026 | Russell D Miller
Officer
|
Sell | 1.5K | $1.4M |
| Dec 30, 2025 | Javier Polit
Officer
|
Sell | 2.6K | $2.3M |
| Dec 19, 2025 | Kenneth D Denman
Director
|
Grant | 325 | - |
| Dec 15, 2025 | Susan Lynne Decker
Director
|
Grant | 2.8K | - |
| Nov 10, 2025 | Jeffrey S Raikes
Director
|
Grant | 4.1K | - |
| Nov 7, 2025 | William Richard Wilcox
Officer
|
Sell | 2.4K | $2.2M |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Claudine Adamo
Officer
|
Sell | 2.7K | $2.5M |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Tiffany Marie Barbre
Divisional Officer
|
Sell | 1.2K | $1.2M |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Tiffany Marie Barbre
Divisional Officer
|
Grant | 2.1K | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Susan Lynne Decker
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Kenneth D Denman
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Helena Buonanno Foulkes
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Hamilton E James
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Sally Jewell
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Gary Millerchip
Officer
|
Grant | 6.3K | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Javier Polit
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Jeffrey S Raikes
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | John W. Stanton
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | John Christopher Sullivan
Officer
|
Grant | 4.7K | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Roland Michael Vachris
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 13.8K | - |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Mary Agnes Wilderotter
Director
|
Grant | 286 | - |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Russell D Miller
Officer
|
Sell | 3.4K | $3.1M |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Caton Frates
Officer
|
Sell | 1.5K | $1.4M |
| Sep 23, 2025 | Russell D Miller
Officer
|
Grant | 2.9K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Claudine Adamo
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Patrick J Callans
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Caton Frates
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Teresa A Jones
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | James C Klauer
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Russell D Miller
Officer
|
Grant | 4.7K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Pierre Riel
Officer
|
Grant | 4.7K | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Yoram B. Rubanenko
Officer
|
Grant | 4.2K | - |
| Sep 2, 2025 | John W. Stanton
Director
|
Grant | 211 | - |
| Aug 20, 2025 | Teresa A Jones
Officer
|
Sell | 600 | $595.2K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | Yoram B. Rubanenko
Officer
|
Sell | 4.0K | $3.9M |
| Jul 14, 2025 | Jeffrey S Raikes
Director
|
Grant | 6.6K | - |
| Jun 18, 2025 | Susan Lynne Decker
Director
|
Sell | 547 | $536.1K |
| Jun 9, 2025 | Patrick J Callans
Officer
|
Sell | 3.0K | $3.0M |
| Jun 6, 2025 | Pierre Riel
Officer
|
Sell | 2.0K | $2.0M |
Source: TwelveData, from SEC Form 4 filings
Questions people ask
Answered from the figures on this page, as of October 17, 2026.