Over the past 3 months, 17 analysts have published their opinion on Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) stock. These analysts are typically employed by large Wall Street banks and tasked with understanding a company's business to predict how a stock will trade over the upcoming year.

These 17 analysts have an average price target of $556.71 versus the current price of Costco Wholesale at $563.93, implying downside.

Below is a summary of how these 17 analysts rated Costco Wholesale over the past 3 months. The greater the number of bullish ratings, the more positive analysts are on the stock and the greater the number of bearish ratings, the more negative analysts are on the stock

This current average has increased by 2.15% from the previous average price target of $545.00.

Stay up to date on Costco Wholesale analyst ratings.

How Are Analyst Ratings Determined?

Benzinga tracks 150 analyst firms and reports on their stock expectations. Analysts typically arrive at their conclusions by predicting how much money a company will make in the future, usually the upcoming five years, and how risky or predictable that company's revenue streams are.

Analysts attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish their ratings on stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter or whenever the company has a major update.

Some analysts will also offer forecasts for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue to provide further guidance on stocks. Investors who use analyst ratings should note that this specialized advice comes from humans and may be subject to error.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.