Costco Stock Forecast: Trending StrongBuy Among Analysts

Costco stock (COST) has risen 2.8% over the past week and 10.2% over the past month, even though it is still down 5.6% over the last 12 months. Wall Street’s analysts are strongly bullish, with a consensus rating of StrongBuy and an average 12‑month price target of $1,069.11, implying solid upside from the last end-of-day price of $978.35. This mix of recent strength and longer-term pullback is drawing attention from investors who see potential room for further gains if the company continues to deliver strong operating results.

One of the most notable voices backing the stock is Robert Drbul, who reiterated his Buy rating on Costco and set a price target of $1,115 on February 5, 2026. This target sits above the Street’s average and suggests further upside from current levels. Drbul’s stance supports the broader strong bullish consensus and highlights Costco as a name that could continue to outperform if current trends hold.

Drbul’s positive view is rooted in Costco’s latest sales performance. In January, the company reported net sales of $21.3 billion, up 9.3% year over year, and total comparable sales growth of 7.1%, the best since January 2025. Canada led with 11.4% comp growth, followed by Other International at 9.5% and the U.S. at 5.8%. Traffic increased both worldwide and domestically, and average transaction size rose 3.9% excluding gas and foreign exchange, showing that customers are both visiting more and spending more.

The analyst also called out broad-based strength across product categories. Foods and sundries saw mid-single-digit growth, with food, candy, and frozen items leading the way, while fresh foods such as bakery and meat also posted mid-single-digit gains. Non-foods accelerated to low double-digit growth on the back of jewelry, tires, and major categories, and ancillary businesses grew in the low-to-mid single digits, with pharmacy, food court, and hearing aids performing particularly well. Even though gas comps fell due to price deflation, the underlying demand trends across Costco’s core business remain solid.

From a valuation standpoint, Drbul views Costco’s current pricing as attractive relative to its history and to peers. The stock trades at about 48 times his CY26 EPS estimate, versus a longer-term pattern where Walmart has usually traded at around a 35% discount to Costco but now sits at only a 10% discount. His $1,115 price target is based on a roughly 55x P/E multiple on FY26 EPS, and he believes Costco can sustain and potentially expand this premium valuation thanks to its consistent execution and strong membership model. This N-star analyst ranks 2075 out of 11,984 on TipRanks, with a 53.69% success rate and a 4.9% average return per rating. Never miss a stock rating. Find all the latest ratings on TipRanks’ Top Wall Street Analysts page.