Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by SVB Wealth LLC

SVB Wealth LLC cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 18.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 7,137 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,599 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,497,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 15.6% during the third quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC now owns 23,668 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,546,000 after buying an additional 3,196 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Trust raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Legacy Trust now owns 9,050 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,239,000 after buying an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Warburton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $179,000. Barr E S & Co. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barr E S & Co. now owns 10,264 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,344,000 after buying an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 381 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,092.21 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $483.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $963.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $974.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,102.84.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 4,200 shares of company stock valued at $4,044,632 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

Here’s some of the latest news about COST:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco announced a $30-per-share special dividend—about $13.3 billion in total—payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24, and reauthorized a $4 billion share-buyback program. The sizable payout signals strong cash generation and is the main catalyst behind the stock’s recent strength near its 52-week high. Article: Costco to Pay out $30 Special Dividend, Renews $4 Billion Stock Buyback Program
• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to expand its Hyderabad technology center after reporting a 60% productivity gain from AI, potentially supporting efficiency as the company grows. Article: Costco reveals 60% AI productivity gain in major expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares for about $976,000, reducing her position by 13.64% but retaining 5,698 shares. A single executive sale is not necessarily a signal about the company’s outlook. SEC Form 4 filing

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.