Costco (COST)
NASDAQConsumer StaplesDiscount StoresSnapshot 2026-11-04
$1046.47+2.67%
Close 2026-11-04 · 1-day change
NASDAQConsumer StaplesDiscount StoresSnapshot 2026-11-04
Research Workspace
Put COST beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Consumer Staples is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Maintain strong cash flow from operations: Comparison needs review.
View ThesisManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 53% growth a year, above the roughly 11% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationRelatively steady — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskCostco's expansion plan has to keep compounding to justify the price. Revenue grew 11.2% last quarter with a strong earnings beat. It trades at 50x earnings versus a 16x peer median. The market is pricing in more growth than we forecast. The primary pillar is under pressure, but the comparison needs review. The thesis comparison is not yet verified. Peer multiples imply a price about 52% below where it trades. The thesis is on watch, and this read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-11-04. COST is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 41 analysts currently covering COST (as of Nov 2026).
Based on 8 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for COST in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare COST with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 12 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-11-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Consumer Staples (broad) — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put COST next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Achieve consistent revenue and comparable sales growth
Gaining ground in grocery wars supports sales growth.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-11-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $1046.47
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $1046.47.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Top 10% on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Achieve consistent revenue and comparable sales growth
Improving momentum supports consistent revenue and sales growth.
Advances: Increase quarterly dividend
Upcoming dividend payment confirms capital allocation objective.
Walmart copying core moves threatens competitive advantage.
Walmart bundle directly targets Costco membership base.
Walmart membership bundle competes for customer loyalty.
Advances: Increase quarterly dividend
The declared $1.47 quarterly dividend confirms the ongoing shareholder-return objective.
Advances: Achieve consistent revenue and comparable sales growth
New warehouse supports revenue and sales growth objectives.
