Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Purchased by Mezzasalma Advisors LLC

Mezzasalma Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,840 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 855 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.2% of Mezzasalma Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Mezzasalma Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,227,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Effects LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first 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 first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after purchasing 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 1st quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,221,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on COST. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Citigroup started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,081.79.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $982.00 on Thursday. 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 firm has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.30, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $931.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $963.13. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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 at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.