ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 3.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 497,314 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,905 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.7% of ProShare Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.11% of Costco Wholesale worth $452,725,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $2,362,188,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,549,616,000 after purchasing an additional 2,497,652 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $726,689,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
- Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages
Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale
In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Costco Wholesale Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $943.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $970.25. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $448.57 billion, a PE ratio of 48.76, a P/E/G ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.88.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.87 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Tigress Financial raised their target price on 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. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.
View Our Latest Analysis on Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale Profile
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale
- Starbucks Says Its Turnaround Is Done—The Numbers Make a Strong Case (With 1 Catch)
- 3 Robotics ETFs, 3 Different Ways to Bet on Humanoid Robots
- Can Microsoft Turn a Leaner Workforce and Record AI Spending Into Bigger Profits?
- Why JFrog Could Be the Software Infrastructure Company to Beat in the AI Boom
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Costco Wholesale Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Costco Wholesale and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
