State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 16.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,529 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,998 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.5% of State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $57,833,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $978.01 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $932.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $963.09. The company has a market cap of $433.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.11, a PEG ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.32%.
Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Major price-target increase: Tigress Financial raised its COST price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential upside. Costco analyst price target report
- Positive Sentiment: Strong operating momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results support the strength of its membership model and e-commerce business. Costco September sales report
- Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling essential goods. Costco benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Retail defensive-sector rotation
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend and expansion: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13. Proposed new warehouses in Oakland and Merced County also point to continued long-term store expansion. Costco dividend announcement
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to expect earnings growth, with one estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS raised to $22.80. However, commentary describing COST as a portfolio-risk amplifier suggests investors remain focused on its correlation with the broader market and premium valuation. Costco market risk analysis
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable to disappointment in membership, sales or consumer spending trends. Separately, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his position by 26.23%. Costco insider sale report
Analyst Ratings Changes
COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,087.40.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Company Profile
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.
Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.
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