Ticker: Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) – Date: November 26, 2025
Costco stock is quietly staging a rebound today as investors digest a wave of fresh research notes, institutional filings, and a major credit rating upgrade that together reinforce the long‑term bull case—while highlighting just how rich the valuation still is.
Costco Stock Today: Price Action on November 26, 2025
As of late morning trading on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is trading around $910 per share, up roughly 1.8% from yesterday’s close of $894.33. [1]
Key intraday stats so far:
- Last price: about $910.50
- Change vs. prior close: +$16.17 (~+1.8%)
- Intraday range: roughly $893 – $911
- Open:$896.02
- Volume (mid-session): just over 500,000 shares, lighter than a typical full‑day average
Relative to its 52‑week range, Costco remains closer to the bottom than the top:
- 52‑week low: about $871.71
- 52‑week high: about $1,078.23 [2]
At today’s price, COST is only about 4–5% above its 52‑week low and still roughly 16% below its February peak, underscoring how far the stock has pulled back from earlier euphoric levels. [3]
Over a longer horizon, though, Costco is still a big winner. Based on recent data, the stock has gained around 75% over the past three years, even after this year’s pullback. [4]
Why Costco Stock Is Up Today
MarketBeat’s real‑time coverage of COST sums up the backdrop neatly: Costco is trading higher today as investors respond to a strong credit rating upgrade, ongoing store expansion, and bullish commentary from analysts and the financial media, partially offset by valuation worries and headlines about limited product recalls. [5]
The main drivers behind today’s move:
- Fitch upgrades Costco to ‘AA’ with a stable outlook
- Yesterday, Fitch Ratings assigned Costco a Long‑Term Issuer Default Rating of ‘AA’ with a stable outlook, citing the company’s $275 billion in FY 2025 revenue, $13.5 billion in EBITDA, and the resilience of its membership model. [6]
- Fitch highlights Costco’s 145 million member cardholders, membership revenue of $5.3 billion, and retention rates that hover around 90%, all supporting a durable, cash‑rich business that is comfortable carrying low leverage. [7]
- The agency expects Costco to grow revenue by 4–6% annually through 3–5% comparable‑store sales growth plus 25–30 new warehouses per year, projecting that revenue could top $300 billion by fiscal 2027. [8]
- Fresh bullish research: Costco still seen as a growth leader
- Zacks’ new piece, “Here’s Why Costco (COST) is a Strong Growth Stock”, published this morning, assigns COST a Growth Style Score of A and a VGM Score of B, with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The firm expects 11% earnings growth in the current fiscal year and notes that the consensus FY 2026 EPS estimate has crept up to $19.97 per share over the past two months. [9]
- A companion Zacks article, “Costco or BJ’s Wholesale: Which Warehouse Retail Stock Stands Out?”, concludes that while both companies are solid, Costco stands out as the stronger pick thanks to its global scale, high renewal rates and expanding digital and international footprint. [10]
- Motley Fool doubles down on the long‑term Costco story
- In today’s widely shared article “1 Reason I’m Never Selling Costco Stock”, Motley Fool’s Rick Munarriz argues that Costco’s long track record of revenue growth and member loyalty justifies holding through volatility, even as the stock trades at close to 50× trailing earnings. [11]
- The piece notes that while Costco’s one‑year performance is slightly negative, its three‑ and five‑year returns remain dramatically ahead of the broader market, reinforcing the “compounder” narrative that many long‑term shareholders lean on. [12]
- Active institutional repositioning, but ownership remains strong
A cluster of 13F filings published today shows institutions actively adjusting their Costco positions: [13]- Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its Costco stake by 7.3% in Q2, now owning about 382,316 shares worth roughly $378 million.
- Wambolt & Associates LLC trimmed its position by 6.4%, holding just over 4,200 shares valued at about $4.16 million.
- Thornburg Investment Management Inc. cut its stake more aggressively, down 34.3% to about 6,152 shares (roughly $6.1 million).
- Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its holdings by 28.4% in Q2, to 2,878 shares worth around $2.85 million.
- Store expansion and membership initiatives
- MarketBeat’s round‑up also flags multiple new warehouse openings and ongoing site work (including additional U.S. locations) as a positive sentiment driver, reinforcing the idea that Costco still has room to grow its footprint. [15]
- Recent policy tweaks—such as tighter enforcement of membership requirements around food court usage—aim to convert more casual store traffic into paying members, directly supporting Costco’s high‑margin fee income. [16]
- Offsetting factors: product recalls and valuation concerns
- On the negative side, headlines about recalls of certain prepared foods ahead of Thanksgiving have added a small overhang and short‑term operational noise. [17]
- Several commentators, including MarketBeat and Barron’s, have also warned that Costco’s valuation is stretched, with shares trading at more than 40× forward earnings, well above typical consumer‑staples peers. [18]
Overall, the market seems to be weighing rock‑solid fundamentals and an upgraded credit profile against premium valuation and recent price weakness, and—at least today—coming down on the optimistic side.
The November 26 News Flow: What’s New on Costco Stock?
Here’s a quick rundown of today’s key Costco stock headlines and what they mean:
1. Zacks: Costco Highlighted as a “Strong Growth Stock”
Zacks’ growth‑focused note on Costco emphasizes: [19]
- A Growth Style Score of A and VGM Score of B, indicating a strong combination of growth, value and momentum.
- Expected 11% EPS growth this fiscal year, supported by rising membership fees and steady same‑store sales.
- Consensus EPS for fiscal 2026 climbing to $19.97 over the last 60 days.
- A Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), reflecting solid fundamentals but acknowledging valuation and near‑term volatility.
For growth‑oriented investors, the takeaway is that earnings and sales momentum remain intact, even though the stock is no longer cheap in traditional terms.
2. Zacks: Costco vs. BJ’s — Costco Still Comes Out Ahead
In “Costco or BJ’s Wholesale: Which Warehouse Retail Stock Stands Out?” Zacks compares the two major warehouse‑club operators and ultimately calls Costco the stronger investment today. [20]
Key Costco highlights from that piece:
- Membership engine:
- Membership renewal rates of 92.3% in the U.S. and Canada and 89.8% worldwide in Q4 FY 2025.
- Membership fee income up 14% year‑on‑year in the quarter to $1.724 billion. [21]
- October momentum:
- Valuation snapshot:
- Forward 12‑month P/E:43.85×, versus a one‑year median of 50.09×—still rich, but a discount to where Costco traded earlier this year. [24]
- Estimates:
- Consensus forecasts call for 7.7% revenue growth and 11% EPS growth this year. [25]
Zacks notes that BJ’s Wholesale trades far more cheaply on earnings multiples, but still concludes that Costco’s scale, loyalty program and global reach make it the more compelling name at current prices—provided investors can stomach the higher multiple. [26]
3. Motley Fool: Long‑Term Holders Aren’t Going Anywhere
The new Motley Fool article “1 Reason I’m Never Selling Costco Stock” leans heavily on Costco’s long history of consistent growth and shareholder returns. Among the key ideas: [27]
- Costco has posted positive revenue growth in 33 of the last 34 fiscal years, a remarkable record for a retailer.
- Even after a mid‑single‑digit pullback over the past year, Costco’s three‑ and five‑year returns still dramatically outpace the S&P 500.
- The membership model—where fee income largely drops to the bottom line—is framed as Costco’s enduring “secret sauce.”
The tone is unapologetically long‑term: it argues that occasional drawdowns (like the current one) are the price of admission for owning a high‑quality, capital‑efficient retailer over decades.
4. MarketBeat: A Wave of New 13F Filings
MarketBeat’s “Why Is Costco Wholesale Up Today?” page highlights a string of institutional filings dated November 26: [28]
- Some firms, like Jefferies Financial Group and Thornburg Investment Management, cut positions meaningfully.
- Others, such as Russell Investments Group and several wealth managers, added to their holdings.
- Overall institutional ownership remains high at about 68–69%, a level consistent with Costco’s status as a core holding in many large‑cap and defensive equity portfolios.
For everyday investors, the mixed flows suggest portfolio rebalancing rather than an abrupt shift in the fundamental story.
Fundamentals Still Look Strong: Earnings, Membership Fees and Sales
Today’s news sits on top of a very solid fundamental backdrop.
Fiscal 2025 Results: Another Year of High‑Volume Growth
Costco’s Q4 and full‑year 2025 results (for the period ended August 31, 2025) underscore why credit agencies and analysts remain so constructive: [29]
- Q4 2025 (16 weeks)
- Net sales: $84.4 billion, up 8.0% year‑over‑year.
- Total revenue (including membership fees): $86.16 billion.
- Comparable sales (ex‑gas and FX): +6.4%, with e‑commerce comps up 13.5%.
- Net income: $2.61 billion, or $5.87 diluted EPS, versus $5.29 a year earlier.
- Full Fiscal Year 2025 (52 weeks)
- Net sales: $269.9 billion, up 8.1% from 2024.
- Total revenue: $275.2 billion.
- Net income: $8.10 billion, or $18.21 diluted EPS, up from $16.56 in fiscal 2024.
Membership Fees: Quietly Surging
Membership fees are Costco’s superpower, and 2025 made that very clear: [30]
- Q4 membership fee revenue climbed to $1.724 billion, up about 14% year‑over‑year.
- Full‑year membership fees reached $5.323 billion, roughly 10% higher than the prior year.
- External commentary notes that about half of the Q4 membership‑fee growth came from price increases implemented in 2024, and the other half from new members and upgrades to Executive membership.
- Costco ended fiscal 2025 with roughly 81 million paid household memberships, up 6.3% year‑over‑year, and Executive members accounted for nearly three‑quarters of total sales. [31]
Fitch’s report adds that Costco now serves 145 million cardholders, underscoring the global scale of the membership base and its ability to support strong cash generation with relatively modest leverage. [32]
October Sales: Momentum Heading Into the Holidays
The momentum carried into the fall: Costco’s October 2025 sales release showed: [33]
- Net sales of $21.75 billion for the four weeks ended November 2, up 8.6% from a year earlier.
- Total comparable sales up 6.6%, with:
- U.S.: +6.6%
- Canada: +6.3%
- Other International: +7.2%
- Digitally‑enabled comp sales up 16.6%, on top of strong online growth in prior months.
Together, these figures show that Costco is not relying on financial engineering—the business is still growing volumes and comps, even in a tougher consumer environment.
Is Costco Stock Too Expensive? Valuation and Analyst Targets
Even fans of the company agree on one thing: Costco stock isn’t cheap.
Earnings Multiple and Style Scores
According to Zacks’ latest comparison of Costco and BJ’s Wholesale: [34]
- COST trades at about 43.9× forward 12‑month earnings, below its one‑year median multiple of roughly 50×, but still much richer than peers in the consumer‑staples space.
- BJ’s trades closer to 19× forward earnings, highlighting just how large Costco’s quality premium is.
- Zacks sees Costco as a growth‑oriented name (Growth Score A) with improving earnings estimates, but maintains a Rank #3 (Hold)—essentially signalling “great business, demanding price.”
Wall Street Price Targets
MarketBeat’s consensus across 31 analysts shows: [35]
- Average 12‑month price target: about $1,025 per share
- Implied upside from roughly $910: around 12–13%
- Most firms rate the stock “Buy” or “Overweight,” with a sizeable minority at “Hold”; the overall rating skews toward “Moderate Buy.”
In other words, Wall Street still sees room for upside, but not the explosive gains investors enjoyed when Costco was powering to new highs earlier in 2025.
Key Dates and Catalysts to Watch
For investors tracking Costco stock over the next few weeks, a few upcoming events stand out:
- November 2025 Sales Report – December 3, 2025
Costco typically reports monthly sales; November numbers will show how the company performed through Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. [36] - Q1 FY 2026 Earnings Call – December 11, 2025 (after market close)
Analysts will be watching for:- Early reads on holiday traffic and membership trends
- Any commentary on pricing, promotions and margins
- Updates on international expansion and digital investments
- Shareholders’ Meeting – January 15, 2026
While typically not a major trading catalyst, the meeting can offer additional strategic color. [37]
Beyond calendar events, investors will also be watching:
- Any further store‑opening announcements or real estate deals, especially in underpenetrated markets. [38]
- Product‑recall headlines and how quickly Costco addresses them. [39]
- Macro factors, including consumer‑spending trends and interest‑rate expectations, which can influence all premium‑multiple growth stocks.
What Today’s Move in Costco Stock Means for Investors
Putting it all together, here’s how today’s action in COST looks in context:
- Business quality remains exceptional. Revenue, earnings, comps and membership fees are all growing at high single‑digit to low double‑digit rates, even as many retailers struggle. [40]
- Balance sheet and credit profile are stronger than ever. Fitch’s new ‘AA’ rating with a stable outlook places Costco in a very select group of retailers and confirms its ability to fund growth and dividends while keeping leverage low. [41]
- The stock is still expensive—but cheaper than it was. Forward P/E has compressed from around 50× to the mid‑40s, and the share price is down from this year’s highs, yet COST still trades at a significant premium to peers such as BJ’s and Walmart. [42]
- Institutional investors are actively fine‑tuning positions rather than abandoning the story. The mix of buys and sells in today’s 13F filings is consistent with rebalancing after a long run‑up, not with a wholesale loss of confidence. [43]
For long‑term investors, Costco today looks like the same high‑quality compounder, now trading at a slightly more reasonable—but still premium—price. Short‑term traders, on the other hand, need to respect the stock’s rich valuation and recent downtrend, which can magnify volatility around monthly sales reports and earnings releases. [44]
As always, whether Costco fits in your portfolio depends on your time horizon, risk tolerance, and diversification. This article is for information and news purposes only and is not personal investment advice.
References
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