Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $1,054,031.00 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock traded up $27.37 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $982.00. The company had a trading volume of 3,072,654 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,304,990. The company has a 50 day moving average of $931.75 and a 200-day moving average of $963.13. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. 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 firm has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.68, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on COST. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on shares of 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 9th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,081.79.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mezzasalma Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mezzasalma Advisors LLC now owns 6,840 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,227,000 after purchasing an additional 855 shares in the last quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 2,120 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Fortress Financial Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $942,000. Triumph Capital Management boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the third quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 581 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $514,000 after buying an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.7% in the third quarter. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC now owns 14,680 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $12,551,000 after buying an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

About Costco Wholesale

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.