Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Acquired by Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI

Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,453 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 633 shares during the quarter. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,964,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mirador Capital Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the third quarter. Mirador Capital Partners LP now owns 5,476 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,985,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 94.4% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 3,488 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,175,000 after acquiring an additional 1,694 shares in the last quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.8% in the third quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC now owns 572 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $520,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the third quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group now owns 1,552 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avaii Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $301,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of COST stock opened at $946.92 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.94 billion, a PE ratio of 45.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $930.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $963.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported approximately $30.02 billion in September net sales, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, U.S. comparable sales rose 12.5%, and digitally enabled sales climbed 19%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Costco’s September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see improving trends: UBS characterized the September results as evidence of accelerating trends, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained a Sector Perform rating and a $1,000 price target, implying additional upside from recently reported levels. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data is inconclusive: A report lists October short interest at zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with normal market data and is unlikely to be a meaningful trading signal without confirmation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support remains mixed: DA Davidson reiterated a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, indicating that strong operating trends have not yet led all analysts to recommend buying the stock. Costco Stock: Here’s What DA Davidson Found During Its Warehouse Club Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks temper the sales beat: RBC noted that Costco’s growth may already be reflected in its share price. Analysts also cautioned that gasoline, foreign exchange, and other one-time or lower-margin factors contributed to the September improvement, potentially limiting the impact on earnings and margins. Costco’s Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper

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.