Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Holdings Lessened by WealthSpring Partners LLC

WealthSpring Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 39.0% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,288 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 823 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.3% of WealthSpring Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. WealthSpring Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,172,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Effects LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Frisch Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the first quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the first quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,221,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $982.00 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $931.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $963.13. The stock has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a PE ratio of 47.30, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several research reports. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,081.79.

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.