Dollar Tree's Strong Performance: Dollar Tree Inc reported impressive quarterly earnings, exceeding sales and profit estimates with $4.75 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings of $1.21 per share, while also raising its full-year profit outlook.
ETF Investment Opportunities: Investors are encouraged to consider ETFs like the State Street PDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) for broad exposure to resilient retailers, and the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) for large-format operators, highlighting the importance of pricing power and supply chain efficiency.
Factor-Driven Investment Options: The First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund (FDX) is recommended for those seeking a factor-driven approach focusing on profitability and value, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF (VDC) offers a defensive option amid tariff pressures.
Market Implications: Dollar Tree's raised forecast underscores the significance of pricing power and assortment agility in the retail sector, suggesting that ETFs aligned with these strengths may be well-positioned for future market challenges.
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 1061 USD with a low forecast of 769.00 USD and a high forecast of 1205 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
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 1061 USD with a low forecast of 769.00 USD and a high forecast of 1205 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.
19 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 982.860
Low
769.00
Averages
1061
High
1205
Current: 982.860
Low
769.00
Averages
1061
High
1205
Deutsche Bank
Krisztina Katai
resume
$1,044
2026-01-08
Reason
Deutsche Bank
Krisztina Katai
Price Target
$1,044
AI Analysis
2026-01-08
resume
Reason
Deutsche Bank analyst Krisztina Katai resumed coverage of Costco with a Buy rating and $1,044 price target. The firm resumed coverage of the broadlines and food retailers. Deutsche expects 2026 to be another "mixed year," characterized by food disinflation, reduced government benefits, and consumers' value focus extending into the new year. The analyst says that while defensive sectors such as food retail could face a challenging setup, "there are tailwinds on the horizon," including a sizable stimulus in the first half of 2026.
Mizuho
Neutral -> Outperform
upgrade
$950
2026-01-05
Reason
Mizuho
Price Target
$950
2026-01-05
upgrade
Neutral -> Outperform
Reason
Mizuho upgraded Costco to Outperform from Neutral with a price target of $1,000, up from $950. The shares have corrected 20% on concerns that both the company's membership and comp sales growth are slowing, the analyst tells investors in a research note. However, Mizuho believes Costco's trade-up activity is accelerating with Q1 premium member adds 2-3 times that of total membership. The firm also adds the stock to its "Top Picks" list.
Unlock Full Analyst Thesis， Get the complete breakdown of rating reason for COST
Unlock Now
Northcoast
Neutral
to
Buy
upgrade
$1,100
2025-12-24
Reason
Northcoast
Price Target
$1,100
2025-12-24
upgrade
Neutral
to
Buy
Reason
Northcoast upgraded Costco to Buy from Neutral with a $1,100 price target.
Wells Fargo
Edward Kelly
Equal Weight
downgrade
$900
2025-12-19
Reason
Wells Fargo
Edward Kelly
Price Target
$900
2025-12-19
downgrade
Equal Weight
Reason
Wells Fargo analyst Edward Kelly lowered the firm's price target on Costco to $900 from $1,000 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm sees a mixed overall 2026 outlook for the group, but with opportunity. Wells is bullish broadlines/food service, notes fiscal/tariff trade is underway, and believes momentum is sustainable through the first half of EPS revisions. With that said, the firm sees a tougher food retail outlook; idiosyncratic drivers are key.
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.
