Costco (COST)
NASDAQConsumer StaplesDiscount StoresSnapshot 2026-09-14
$901.35-1.91%
Close 2026-09-15 · 1-day change
NASDAQConsumer StaplesDiscount StoresSnapshot 2026-09-14
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 broken — Maintain strong cash flow from operations: Operating cash flow $4.7B vs $3.0B trip.
View ThesisMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 85% growth a year, above the roughly 9% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationRelatively steady — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskCostco's growth has to keep compounding to justify the price. Revenue grew 11.6% year over year, but the latest quarter missed expectations. It trades at 45× P/E versus a peer median of 16×, indicating the market is pricing in more growth than we forecast. The primary risk is the potential for a guidance cut, which could lead to a significant negative impact. Peer multiples imply a price about 106% below where it trades (it looks expensive on this basis).
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-15. COST is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 40 analysts currently covering COST (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 7 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 13 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-14. 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.
Bankruptcy of partner may strengthen rival's position.
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 2026-09-15. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $901.35
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $901.35.
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.
Price increase may deter customer purchases, impacting revenue growth.
Price increase may enhance revenue growth potential.
Advances: Maintain strong cash flow from operations
Price increase supports revenue growth objective.
Advances: Increase quarterly dividend
Dividend hike aligns with capital allocation objectives.
Kroger's loss may benefit Costco's market position.
Rising prices may affect customer demand and revenue growth.
Increased competition may hinder Costco's revenue growth.
