Claudine Adamo Sells 730 Shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,003.23 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.17, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.01. 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 company’s 50 day moving average price is $972.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $936.70. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results and commentary showed continued momentum — revenue and EPS beat estimates, management cited membership/traffic gains and price management that supported sales. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is lifting sentiment — BMO and other shops have raised targets or reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings after the quarter, helping offset headline risk. BMO Sees Costco as Stable Bet
• Positive Sentiment: Operational tailwinds: new warehouse openings, expanded in‑warehouse experiences and viral product drops (e.g., Off‑White hoodies) are driving foot traffic and membership engagement. Off‑White Hoodies Spark Frenzy Liberty Hill Costco Opening
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa and other firms tweaked targets (some higher) while keeping conservative ratings in some cases — a modest vote of confidence but not uniformly bullish. Daiwa Adjusts Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: an EVP disclosed the sale of ~730 shares — small relative to Costco’s market cap and unlikely to drive the move on its own. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: a proposed nationwide class action alleges Costco must pass along tariff refunds to customers after the Supreme Court voided certain Trump‑era tariffs — plaintiffs seek broad relief and this creates uncertainty over potential liabilities, refunds, and reputational risk. Reuters: Costco customers sue MSN: Costco Sued Over Tariffs
• Negative Sentiment: Negative framing in some outlets suggests the suits could pressure Costco’s low‑margin model if rulings force refunds or changes to pricing practices; outcome and exposure remain uncertain and litigation could be a headline risk. 24/7 Wall St: Profit Model Threatened
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risks (Gulf tensions, oil spike) could weigh on consumer sentiment and fuel costs — a potential headwind for retailers if sustained. Heard on the Street: Gulf Worries

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

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.