Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Bought by CX Institutional

CX Institutional grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 103.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,977 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,091 shares during the quarter. CX Institutional’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the third quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 512 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $448,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.7% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 508 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,083,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares in the last quarter. Defender Capital LLC. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the third quarter. Defender Capital LLC. now owns 11,555 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,519,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Bank Trust Division boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 463.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 2,040 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,678 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.6%

Costco Wholesale stock traded up $5.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $920.65. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,018,948 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,201,015. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $933.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $965.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $408.29 billion, a PE ratio of 44.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $5.87 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s gasoline, pharmacy, travel and other ancillary businesses are increasing customer engagement and expanding its share of members’ wallets. These services may support recurring revenue, traffic and margins beyond merchandise sales. Costco’s Ancillary Businesses Expand Share-of-Wallet Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to pressure traditional grocers through competitive pricing, fresh-food offerings, e-commerce and strong value perception. Growing market share could help sustain sales and membership growth. Has Costco Become Grocery’s Biggest Threat?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco and SCAN Health Plan launched the company’s first Medicare Advantage plans in California and Nevada. The initiative adds another potential member benefit and could create a new avenue for customer engagement, although its financial contribution is not yet clear. SCAN and Costco Launch Medicare Advantage Plans
• Positive Sentiment: New and converted Business Center locations, including projects in Texas and Kansas City, should expand Costco’s commercial customer base and warehouse footprint over time. Costco Business Center Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher fuel prices contributed roughly three percentage points to fiscal fourth-quarter sales growth. While this boosts reported revenue, it reflects higher prices rather than stronger gasoline volume, making the underlying growth rate less impressive. Is One Number Reason Enough to Sell Costco Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising fuel, freight, supplier and merchandise costs could pressure Costco’s already-thin margins. Investors are watching whether the company absorbs the increases to preserve its value proposition or passes them to customers at the risk of slowing demand. Can Costco Absorb Rising Costs?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Commentary questioning whether its growth justifies the high earnings multiple may restrain further gains even as the company’s operating performance remains solid.
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares worth approximately $2.02 million, reducing her direct holdings by 23.57%. The transaction does not change Costco’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on sentiment. Costco Insider Share Sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on 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. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related 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 value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale 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.