With a market cap of $443.3 billion, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) engages in the operation of membership warehouses, offering branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories, warehouse ancillary, and other businesses. Headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, the company operates 897 warehouses around the globe.

Shares of Costco Wholesale have outperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. COST has soared 28.9% over this period, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 12.7%. Moreover, shares of COST are up 9% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX’s marginal return.

Looking closer, COST has also outpaced the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLP) 3.3% return over the past 52 weeks and 1.7% rise on a YTD basis.

Costco Wholesale shares fell 6.1% the next day after it released its Q2 2025 results on Mar. 6.  Quarterly revenue came in at $62.5 billion, marking a 9.1% year-over-year increase. EPS rose 2.6% from the prior-year quarter to $4.02. However, on Apr. 17, the stock gained 2.8% after the company announced a 12% increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share, boosting investor confidence.

For the fiscal year ending in August 2025, analysts expect COST’s EPS to increase 11.5% year-over-year to $17.96. The company's earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in two of the past three quarters while missing on another occasion.

Among the 34 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 17 “Strong Buy” ratings, four “Moderate Buys,” and 13 “Holds.”

This configuration is slightly less bullish than three months ago, with 18 “Strong Buy” ratings on the stock.

On May 8, UBS Group AG (UBS) analyst Michael Lasser maintains COST's price target to $1,205 with a “Buy” rating. 

As of writing, Costco Wholesale is trading below the mean price target of $1,065.59. The Street-high price target of $1,205 implies a potential upside of 20.6% from the current price levels.