Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Lowered by Parallel Advisors LLC

Parallel Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46,463 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,058 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.6% of Parallel Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Parallel Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $42,297,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during 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. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $16,013,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the second quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after acquiring an additional 6,200 shares during the last quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signal Advisors Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 97.0% in the third quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 3,531 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,739 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Argus restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. CICC Research started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported October net sales of $24.50 billion, up 12.6% year over year. U.S. comparable sales rose 8.1% excluding gasoline-price changes, while digital growth also accelerated—evidence of continued customer demand. Costco’s October Net Sales Jump 12.6% as Digital Growth Accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $1,150 from $1,015 and maintained an overweight rating. Bank of America also kept its buy rating following the stronger U.S. comparable-sales results. JPMorgan price-target update Costco retains BofA buy as October U.S. comps rise
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage points to solid share-price momentum, supported by a string of earnings beats, but investors may be watching whether earnings growth can justify the stock’s valuation. Costco Stock: Earnings Growth Could Shape the Next Big Move
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a key risk: reports cite a trailing P/E near 49, leaving limited room for disappointment, while earnings revisions have raised concerns. Citi maintained a hold rating with a $1,020 target, reflecting a more cautious view than JPMorgan’s. Costco Stock: Why Analysts Are Split Despite Strong October Sales

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST traded down $12.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,053.56. The stock had a trading volume of 2,513,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,207,412. 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 company has a 50 day simple moving average of $952.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $972.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be given 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 payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.

The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.