Madrona Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 11.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,367 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 629 shares during the period. Madrona Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after acquiring an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after acquiring an additional 283,360 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Key Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong. CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, while Tigress Financial raised its price target to $1,250. Erste Group also increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $25.07 from $25.01, above the current-year consensus estimate of $22.70. CICC coverage article Tigress Financial price target article
- Positive Sentiment: Growth and customer engagement remain key positives. Costco’s membership model has delivered substantial long-term shareholder returns, and the company is reportedly using purchasing data to better target high-spending members. REJURAN Cosmetics is also expanding through Costco’s first Beauty Table program, potentially adding traffic and broadening its premium beauty offering. Costco customer spending article REJURAN retail expansion article
- Neutral Sentiment: Long-term growth screens are favorable, and analysts’ average recommendation is equivalent to a Buy. However, these reports largely reiterate existing optimism rather than provide a new earnings catalyst. Zacks growth stock article
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or disappointing growth. Kroger is planning major investments and price cuts to win back market share from Costco and Walmart, which could intensify grocery competition and pressure margins. Kroger competition article
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Tigress Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.
View Our Latest Report on Costco Wholesale
Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale
In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
COST opened at $1,003.32 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $937.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $962.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.88.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.
About Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.
Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.
The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.
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