New York, February 6, 2026, 11:50 (EST) — Regular session
Costco Wholesale Corporation shares edged up roughly 0.6% on Friday, hovering around $995. Investors digested new brokerage reports following the retailer’s recent sales update.
Costco’s monthly sales update is one of the rare pre-earnings snapshots the company shares, and it tends to shift expectations fast. With the stock hovering close to a four-digit price, even minor tweaks in the sales figures can have an outsized impact.
This comes as markets continue to probe the resilience of the U.S. consumer. The closely watched University of Michigan survey revealed a bounce in sentiment in early February, but survey director Joanne Hsu cautioned that “the overall level of sentiment remains very low.”
Costco reported net sales of $21.33 billion for the four weeks ending Feb. 1, marking a 9.3% increase from the same period last year. Comparable sales, covering stores open at least a year, climbed 7.1%, while digitally-enabled comparable sales surged 34.4%. Stripping out gasoline prices and foreign-exchange effects, total comparable sales grew 6.4%. The company noted a calendar-related headwind, citing the Lunar and Chinese New Year timing as a drag on January sales. A pre-recorded message on the results will be available through Feb. 11. 1
Oppenheimer raised its price target for Costco from $1,050 to $1,100, maintaining an outperform rating. The upgrade reflects strong momentum across the board, especially in non-food segments. The firm also kept Costco as a top pick, noting that a special dividend or stock split might serve as potential catalysts. 2
Baird bumped its target to $1,100 from $1,000 and stuck with an outperform rating, revising its model following what it described as strong January sales despite tougher year-over-year comparisons. 3
Phillip Blee at William Blair kept his buy rating intact, pointing to strong comparable-sales momentum and a sharp rise in online activity that bolsters Costco’s wider move into e-commerce and omni-channel retailing. 4
The debate, as always, isn’t centered on Costco selling groceries. It hinges on whether growth holds steady enough to warrant the premium investors have been willing to pay for that reliability.
Not everyone is convinced. Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk stuck to a sell rating, setting a $769 price target. He pointed out that January’s spike in e-commerce probably stemmed from storm-driven stockpiling, which he expects to reverse in February. 5
Traders are watching to see if February sales hold steady after weather and calendar effects fade, and if online growth calms down from its recent surge.
March 5 marks the next major date, with Costco lined up to report second-quarter earnings and February sales figures. The company will hold an earnings call later that same afternoon Pacific time. 6
