Here's What Analysts Are Forecasting For Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) After Its Annual Results

Last week, you might have seen that Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) released its yearly result to the market. The early response was not positive, with shares down 2.4% to US$886 in the past week. Costco Wholesale reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of US$254b and statutory earnings per share of US$16.56, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

View our latest analysis for Costco Wholesale

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Costco Wholesale's 32 analysts is for revenues of US$273.2b in 2025. This would reflect an okay 7.4% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to rise 7.1% to US$17.81. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$273.8b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$17.77 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the consensus price target is largely unchanged at US$921. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. The most optimistic Costco Wholesale analyst has a price target of US$1,050 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$510. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.

One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. We would highlight that Costco Wholesale's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 7.4% annualised growth rate until the end of 2025 being well below the historical 11% p.a. growth over the last five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 4.6% per year. Even after the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that Costco Wholesale is also expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Fortunately, they also reconfirmed their revenue numbers, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Additionally, our data suggests that revenue is expected to grow faster than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. We have estimates - from multiple Costco Wholesale analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Costco Wholesale that you should be aware of.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.