Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Stock Price & Analysis
Market: NASDAQ • Sector: Consumer Defensive • Industry: Discount Stores
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Profile & Business Summary
Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan. It offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories. The company offers sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, liquor, and tobacco and deli products; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, garden and patio products, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal products, office supplies, automotive care products, postages, tickets, apparel, small appliances, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products. It also operates pharmacies, opticals, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation centers, as well as 636 gas stations; and offers business delivery, travel, same-day grocery, and various other services online in various countries. As of August 29, 2021, the company operated 815 membership warehouses, including 564 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 105 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 30 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 16 in South Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 12 in Australia, 3 in Spain, 1 in Iceland, 1 in France, and 1 in China. It also operates e-commerce websites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.
Key Information
| Ticker | COST |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Ron Vachris |
| Exchange | NASDAQ |
| Official Site | https://www.costco.com |
Market Trend Overview for COST
One model, two time views: what the market looks like right now, and where the larger trend is heading over time.
This model looks at how prices behave over time to describe the current market environment. It focuses on whether price is moving steadily, stalling, or losing momentum, and checks both short-term and weekly trends for confirmation. The goal is not to predict exact prices, but to help understand when conditions are supportive, risky, or unclear.
Current Market Context (Short-Term)
As of 2026-02-06 (ET), COST is moving sideways. Price at 1001.16 is moving between support near 930.30 and resistance near 1029.92. There is no clear direction right now. View Support & Resistance from Options
Why the market looks this way?
Prices have moved back and forth over recent sessions without making steady progress. Trend signals have changed frequently, which suggests the market is stuck in a range. In this environment, chasing moves in either direction is less reliable.
Longer-Term Market Trend (Mid to Long Term)
Shows the bigger market trend, how strong it is, and where risks may start to build over the next few weeks or months. — Updated as of 2026-02-06 (ET)
As of 2026-02-06, COST is moving sideways without a clear direction. Over the longer term, the trend remains bullish.
COST last closed at 1001.16. The price is about 1.8 ATR above its recent average price (971.78), and the market is currently in a sideways market without a clear direction.
The market is moving sideways, with no clear direction. Both upside and downside risks remain in play.
Trend score: 35 out of 100. Overall alignment is unclear. The market is currently in a sideways market without a clear direction. The longer-term trend is still positive, but short-term signals are not yet confirming it.
A key downside level is near 892.43. If price falls below this area, the current upward trend would likely weaken or break.
On 2026-01-28, trend conditions deteriorated, suggesting that moves in the prior direction became less dependable.
[2026-01-23] Price moved quickly and looked strong, but participation was limited.
Recent price action shows orderly upward progression with no major deterioration in bar-level efficiency. Structural conditions remain broadly constructive.
Some late-day positioning was observed, but it lacked strong overnight commitment.
Short Interest & Covering Risk for COST
This analysis looks at overall short interest positioning, focusing on the broader setup rather than short-term noise.
Shows how likely a short squeeze may be under current market conditions.
Short Exposure Percentile
Short interest is above its usual range, suggesting rising pressure on short positions, though not yet extreme. (Historical percentile: 67%)
Structure Analysis
COST Short positioning looks normal. Current days to cover is 2.7 trading days, meaning short positions could unwind at a normal pace. Short covering is likely to have a normal impact on price moves.
Bull Trap Structural Risk
No clear bull trap characteristics detected. Recent price behavior remains broadly consistent with current positioning.This reading helps confirm that current price action remains structurally healthy and does not indicate elevated trap risk.
In the latest reporting period, short interest continues to increase. Price is consolidating near highs with a weak upward bias, appearing strong on the surface but structurally more fragile. As a result, similar news or market events could lead to price moves about 1× larger than usual.
Note:
Short interest data is reported every two weeks by
FINRA.
The most recent snapshot is
2026-01-15 (ET).
Because this data updates slowly, it is not intended to predict short-term price moves. Instead, it helps describe longer-term market structure and where pressure may be building if prices begin to move.