St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 3,413 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,076,000. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.3% of St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $16,013,000. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.0% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,297,000 after buying an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,087.40.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results reinforce the strength of Costco’s membership model, e-commerce business and value-focused offering. September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy rating while setting a $1,065 price target after previously publicizing a higher $1,250 target. Other coverage highlights Costco’s sales growth, membership loyalty and digital gains, supporting the recent recovery above key moving averages. Tigress Financial Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payment signals continued cash-flow strength. Costco Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion pipeline: Proposed warehouse projects in Macon and Oakland, along with a planned Merced County relocation, point to continued investment in Costco’s store network. Infrastructure financing of up to $30 million could support the Macon development. Macon Costco Project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal 2027 executive bonus plan adds sustainability-related measures. The change may support long-term operational goals, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Costco Executive Bonus Update
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks remain: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or membership trends slow. Persistent inflation and potentially higher interest rates could also pressure consumer spending and market valuations.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million. The transaction is relatively small compared with Costco’s market value, but it may add a modest cautionary signal for investors. Costco Insider Sale

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $989.11 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $933.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $963.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $438.30 billion, a PE ratio of 47.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company 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 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.