Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 23.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,895 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,504 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,308,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 900.0% during the 1st quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and talk of a possible special dividend lifted sentiment; upgrades typically support near-term buying interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recommended as a long-term growth hold (20-year thesis) by The Motley Fool, reinforcing buy-and-hold narratives that can support valuation over time. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight Costco’s digital ecosystem (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) as a growing driver of member engagement and sales, which supports revenue diversification and margin upside longer term. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting new store openings and consumer interest (e.g., Roseville store schedule, shopping features) is operationally positive but likely low-impact on immediate stock moves. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and TV coverage (Jim Cramer) are keeping the name in focus; useful for flows but not a decisive fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces warn about sluggish sales and membership growth and say valuation remains hard to justify — these concerns can limit upside until growth reaccelerates. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks’ more pessimistic note on Q2 earnings expectations highlights downside risk to near-term estimates and could pressure the stock if guidance or results disappoint. Article Title

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.5%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $875.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $388.71 billion, a PE ratio of 46.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $893.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $933.62. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Raymond James Financial reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, HSBC dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $994.08.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.