Costco's Stock Surges Over 50,000% in 40 Years Since IPO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2h ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Significant Sales Growth: Costco's latest earnings report reveals Q1 2026 net sales of $65.98 billion, an 8.2% year-over-year increase, indicating the company's strong performance and sustained growth potential in the retail market.
- Accelerated Global Expansion: Currently, Costco operates 921 warehouses worldwide and plans to open 28 new stores in fiscal year 2026, which is significant given that newly opened stores generated an average of $192 million in sales last year, further driving market share and revenue growth.
- Robust Membership Base: Costco's membership has grown by 5.2% year-over-year to 81.4 million, with a renewal rate of 92.2% in the U.S. and Canada, showcasing the company's competitive edge in customer loyalty and market positioning.
- Enhanced Shareholder Returns: The $4 billion stock buyback program initiated in January 2023 has already repurchased $2.18 billion of common stock in fiscal year 2025, and reducing the outstanding share count will help increase per-share value and future dividend payment capabilities.
COST
$873.35+Infinity%1D
Analyst Views on COST
Wall Street analysts forecast COST stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for COST is 1092 USD with a low forecast of 907.00 USD and a high forecast of 1218 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
24 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
8 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 871.860
Low
907.00
Averages
1092
High
1218
Current: 871.860
Low
907.00
Averages
1092
High
1218
About COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that offer a selection of nationally branded and private-label products in a wide range of categories. The Company buys the majority of its merchandise directly from suppliers and route it to cross-docking consolidation points (depots) or directly to its warehouses. It operates 891 warehouses, including 614 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 35 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. It also operates e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. The Company provides wide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of specialty departments and exclusive member services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
