Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Acquired by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 59.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 82,716 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 30,899 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $75,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. American State Bank Iowa increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. American State Bank Iowa now owns 1,675 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,525,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Chapman Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 200.5% in the 3rd quarter. Chapman Investment Management LLC now owns 13,962 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $12,710,000 after purchasing an additional 27,852 shares in the last quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 10,065 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $9,163,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. now owns 4,386 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,993,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Finally, Uhlmann Price Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 53.6% in the 3rd quarter. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC now owns 656 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $597,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of COST opened at $1,053.56 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $952.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $972.49. The company has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Freedom Broker reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,090.55.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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.