Issaquah, Washington-based Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is a leading membership-based warehouse retailer that sells high volumes of food and general merchandise at discounted prices. Valued at a market capitalization of $414.9 billion, the company offers a wide variety of products, including groceries, household essentials, lifestyle goods, electronics, appliances, and stationery. It is expected to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Ahead of the event, analysts anticipate this retail company to report a profit of $5.80 per share, up 12.6% from $5.15 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Street’s earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, while missing on one occasion. In Q3, COST’s EPS of $4.28 outpaced the forecasted figure by a slight margin.
For fiscal 2025, analysts tracking the company expect its profit to be $17.97 per share, up 11.6% from $16.11 per share in fiscal 2024. Furthermore, its EPS is expected to grow 10.9% year over year (YoY) to $19.93 in fiscal 2026.
COST stock has lagged behind the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 17.1% uptick over the past 52 weeks, with its shares up 14.2% over the same time frame. Nonetheless, it has outpaced the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLP) 2.8% gain over the same period.
On May 29, Costco Wholesale released impressive Q3 earnings results, and its shares surged 3.1% in the following trading session. Due to strong growth in sales across the U.S., Canada, and other international markets, the company’s total revenue improved 8% YoY to $63.2 billion. Moreover, its net income per share of $4.28 advanced 13.2% annually, topping analyst estimates by a slight margin.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about COST stock, with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating. Among 32 analysts covering the stock, 15 recommend a "Strong Buy," four indicate a "Moderate Buy," and 13 advise a “Hold.” The mean price target for COST is $1,094.18, indicating a 17.2% upside potential.
