845 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 20,775 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 845 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,912,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 51.4% in the third quarter. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. now owns 383 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $349,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. StoneX Group Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.9% during the third quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 6,673 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,117,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Unify Financial Advisors grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.3% during the third quarter. Unify Financial Advisors now owns 1,364 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,242,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 22.5% during the third quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC now owns 98 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, Leelyn Smith LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the third quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 6,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,966,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on COST. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. 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 on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of COST opened at $1,053.56 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $466.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $952.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $972.49.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.32%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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 related news, 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.