Evercore ISI reiterates Outperform rating on Costco stock amid slowing sales

Published 10/07/2025, 11:58
Evercore ISI reiterates Outperform rating on Costco stock amid slowing sales

Investing.com - Evercore ISI has maintained its Outperform rating and $1,060.00 price target on Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) despite signs of slowing sales growth in recent months. The retail giant, currently trading at $982.09, maintains a "GREAT" overall financial health score according to InvestingPro analysis, though current valuations suggest the stock may be overvalued.

The retailer reported June comparable sales growth of 5.8% globally, or 6.2% excluding foreign exchange and gas impacts. This represents approximately a 100 basis point decline from the three-month average and about 200 basis points below the year-to-date trend of 8%. The company’s revenue growth remains solid at 5.94% over the last twelve months, with total revenue reaching $268.8 billion.Want deeper insights into Costco’s performance metrics? InvestingPro subscribers have access to over 30 additional financial indicators and exclusive analysis.

U.S. traffic growth came in at 2.8% for June, consistent with May but roughly 250 basis points below the prior year-to-date trend. Worldwide traffic increased 3.4%, also about 200 basis points below the year-to-date trend. Despite slower traffic growth, Costco has maintained its strong market position with a remarkable 22-year streak of consecutive dividend payments and a current dividend yield of 0.53%.

The average ticket size excluding gas in the U.S. has increased to 3%, the highest mark since 2022 outside of holiday periods, suggesting inflation may be returning to certain categories. Evercore noted that non-food items turned slightly inflationary in the fiscal third quarter.

Evercore’s Retail Sales Lead Indicator has been forecasting a deceleration into the third quarter, with the firm modeling U.S. retail sales bottoming below 3% in the third quarter after running at a strong 4.5% in the first half of 2025.

In other recent news, Costco Wholesale reported an 8% increase in net sales for June, reaching $26.44 billion, up from $24.48 billion in the same period last year. This growth reflects continued strong consumer demand, with comparable sales rising 5.8% overall and e-commerce sales increasing by 11.5%. When excluding gasoline and foreign exchange impacts, comparable sales were even stronger at 6.2%. DA Davidson maintained its Neutral rating on Costco, citing a premium valuation and noting that traffic growth has slowed despite lower gas prices. Meanwhile, BMO Capital reiterated its Outperform rating with a $1,175 price target, highlighting new membership perks such as same-day Instacart (NASDAQ:CART) orders for Executive members. Additionally, Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) has filed a lawsuit against Costco for allegedly selling knockoff versions of its products under the Kirkland brand, claiming these actions could harm its brand reputation. The legal action seeks to stop Costco’s sales of these items and obtain monetary damages. Investors have responded positively to Lululemon’s defense of its intellectual property.

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