New York, February 28, 2026, 11:54 AM EST — The market has closed.
- Costco ended Friday at $1,010.79, up 2.44%, outperforming a softer U.S. market.
- Bank of America jumped back in with coverage, setting a Buy and a $1,185 target on Costco, highlighting the retailer’s broad pull with shoppers from every income bracket.
- Costco’s fiscal Q2 earnings and its February sales update land March 5, setting up the next catalyst.
Costco Wholesale Corporation shares gained 2.44% Friday, closing at $1,010.79 and bucking the broader market’s decline. COST ended roughly 5% shy of its 52-week high, with volume running heavier than normal.
Costco’s next report lands in just a few days, and the stock isn’t leaving much room for error. Investors are zeroed in on traffic, pricing, and membership fees—the main gears in Costco’s profit engine—and want to see the numbers stack up.
Retailers face a packed calendar next week, as Target and Best Buy both post results March 3. Kroger and BJ’s Wholesale will follow on March 5. That lineup leaves the sector in focus right up to Friday’s U.S. payrolls release.
Bank of America resumed its coverage of Costco on Friday, tagging the retailer with a Buy and setting a $1,185 target. The note described Costco as “well positioned” in what it called a “K-shaped economy”—where affluent shoppers are still opening their wallets, but others are feeling pinched. Analyst Christopher Nardone pointed to Costco’s strategy of pricing and wage reinvestment, saying it supports customers in their “hunt for the best prices.” https://ca.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/bofa-reinstates-coverage-of-walmart-target-and-costco-the-best-stocks-to-own-4484875
The bank, in that same note, put Walmart and Costco at the top of its picks, while taking a more bearish stance on Target. Nardone pointed to Executive memberships as a real asset, keeping an eye on how renewal rates are shaping up. He also called out e-commerce investment as a risk to watch over the medium term.
Costco is set to post its fiscal Q2 earnings report and February sales numbers at 1:15 p.m. PT on March 5, according to the company’s own calendar. The earnings call is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT.
According to Zacks estimates on Nasdaq.com, revenue is expected to hit $69.22 billion, with profit landing at $4.53 a share. Forecasts have edged up over the past month. For comparable sales growth—which excludes the impact of new locations—the estimate sits at 6.5% for the quarter.
The risk is clear enough: expectations are lofty, and so is the valuation. Costco trades at about 54 times trailing earnings, based on Investing.com’s latest EPS number. That doesn’t leave much cushion—any hit to margins or slowdown in membership-fee growth could sting.
Costco’s price discipline and focused assortment help sustain store visits, but expenses aren’t going away. If defending market share gets pricier, or membership renewal rates slip again, those developments could put pressure on a stock now trading above $1,000.
Macro risks aren’t off the table. Investors now have their eyes on the U.S. February jobs numbers, landing March 6. A Reuters poll Friday pegged forecasted job gains at 60,000—a figure that can whiplash both rate expectations and consumer stock prices.
Costco investors are circling March 5. That’s when February sales land, with a close look at same-store performance, renewal rates, and any fresh data on digital spending. What happens there will set the tone for COST—holding ground, or not, in the sessions that follow.
Related articles: NASDAQ:COST
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