Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Invests $41.37 Million in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 44,691 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $41,365,000. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.3% of Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Bank increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,787,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125 (from $1,115) and kept a Buy rating after Costco’s Q2 beat, citing strong membership income and traffic — a supportive signal for upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets/reporting services published higher price targets (including one noting a raise to $1,315), showing continued analyst bullishness and a range of upside scenarios priced in by some firms. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Tax/tariff news: a federal trade‑court ruling could generate tariff refunds that management says it may pass to members as lower prices — this would reinforce Costco’s value proposition and membership stickiness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: February comparable‑store sales were strong (Zacks cites comps up ~7.9%) and e‑commerce grew double digits, supporting the premium valuation on fundamental grounds. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa raised its target to $975 but kept a Neutral rating — a modestly positive PT move offset by a non‑bullish stance. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist nudged its target higher to $977 (from $926) but reiterated a Hold, noting membership growth remains a constraint — mixed signal for near‑term upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company expansion note: Costco is building another standalone gas station — incremental revenue/traffic detail that is likely modestly accretive over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide coverage pieces (Fool, Seeking Alpha) continue to debate valuation vs. peers (Walmart, Home Depot) — helpful context but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $1,088, which, along with comments about premium valuation, adds near‑term downside risk if growth disappoints. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/expectations: some analysts and writeups (Seeking Alpha coverage noted) view shares as fairly valued — combined with membership‑growth headwinds this can pressure the stock when sentiment weakens. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.8%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $997.36 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $442.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.86, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $967.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $935.85.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.