Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Acquired by Werlinich Asset Management LLC

Werlinich Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 85.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,704 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,080 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.4% of Werlinich Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Werlinich Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,103,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,732,836,000 after purchasing an additional 143,150 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2%

COST traded down $2.34 during trading on Friday, hitting $945.58. The stock had a trading volume of 661,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,188,253. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $930.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $963.49. 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 Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $419.35 billion, a PE ratio of 45.57, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, while sales excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects rose 7.6%. Strong traffic, transactions and 19% digital growth point to continued operating momentum. Costco September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: UBS and Jefferies viewed the September performance as evidence of an accelerating start to fiscal 2027. The results reinforce Costco’s reputation for resilient customer traffic and could support earnings estimates. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its Sector Perform rating and set a $1,000 price target, implying moderate upside but no strong change in its investment view. RBC Costco Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson maintained a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, suggesting Costco’s execution remains solid but that the current valuation already reflects much of the company’s strengths. DA Davidson Costco Warehouse Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cautioned that part of September’s comparable-sales surge came from higher gasoline prices and other lower-margin factors. This raises questions about how much of the growth will translate into profit expansion. Costco Sales Rebound Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation, tariff and margin risks, and a reported lawsuit involving a Kirkland drink-mix “sugar-free” claim provide additional reasons investors may remain cautious.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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.