Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by CSM Advisors LLC

CSM Advisors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 981.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,385 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,072 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,136,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.7%

COST opened at $1,001.74 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.42 billion, a PE ratio of 52.09, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $978.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $937.45.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on COST. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its tone on Costco following recent fiscal results and increased its price target, signaling confidence in Costco’s topline momentum and membership-driven margins — a catalyst for continued investor interest. JPMorgan Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Following Fiscal Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several long-form pieces argue Costco still has durable growth and premium membership economics that could support large market-cap expansion over the next several years — a bullish narrative for buy-and-hold investors. Will Costco Wholesale Stock Join the Trillion-Dollar Club by 2030?
• Positive Sentiment: Comparisons with other defensive, wide-moat consumer names (e.g., Coca‑Cola) and lists recommending Costco as a buy-and-hold reinforce steady demand from long-term investors and support multiple expansion. Best Stock to Buy and Hold Forever: Costco vs. Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat and others continue to flag COST as a potential stock-split candidate given its >$1,000 price — a split could broaden retail demand and improve liquidity if announced. 3 Stocks That Could Be Next to Announce a Stock Split
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and screeners (Zacks, InsiderMonkey) have featured COST as a quality retail pick; useful for sentiment but less likely to move the stock materially by themselves. Beat the Market the Zacks Way: IPG Photonics, Celanese, Costco in Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Small operational/product updates (e.g., online custom cake ordering) and minor portfolio moves by advisers are low-impact items that support convenience and steady sales but won’t change fundamentals. Costco now lets you order custom cakes online — here’s how it works
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued recalls for prepared meatloaf meals over potential Salmonella contamination (multiple local health alerts and national notices). Recalls can depress short‑term foot traffic, raise remediation costs, and attract negative media — a near‑term drag on sentiment. Costco recalls prepared meatloaf meals over possible Salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive improvements at Sam’s Club (fixing pain points that have favored Costco) are being highlighted in the press — any persistent market-share shift or promotional aggression could pressure margins or membership momentum. Sam’s Club fixes problem that’s a major pain point at Costco

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.