Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Position Increased by Mather Group LLC.

Mather Group LLC. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,823 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the quarter. Mather Group LLC.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,942,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Wealth Effects LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $982.00 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $931.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $963.13. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $435.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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: 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,081.79.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.