Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI

Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,453 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 633 shares during the period. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,964,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Mirador Capital Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mirador Capital Partners LP now owns 5,476 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,985,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 94.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 3,488 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,175,000 after purchasing an additional 1,694 shares during the period. Decker Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 72.8% during the 3rd quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC now owns 572 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $520,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group now owns 1,552 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avaii Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $301,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $946.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $419.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $930.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $963.38.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. Finally, Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $781.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported approximately $30.02 billion in September net sales, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, U.S. comparable sales rose 12.5%, and digitally enabled sales climbed 19%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Costco’s September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see improving trends: UBS characterized the September results as evidence of accelerating trends, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained a Sector Perform rating and a $1,000 price target, implying additional upside from recently reported levels. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data is inconclusive: A report lists October short interest at zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with normal market data and is unlikely to be a meaningful trading signal without confirmation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support remains mixed: DA Davidson reiterated a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, indicating that strong operating trends have not yet led all analysts to recommend buying the stock. Costco Stock: Here’s What DA Davidson Found During Its Warehouse Club Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks temper the sales beat: RBC noted that Costco’s growth may already be reflected in its share price. Analysts also cautioned that gasoline, foreign exchange, and other one-time or lower-margin factors contributed to the September improvement, potentially limiting the impact on earnings and margins. Costco’s Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper

About Costco Wholesale

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.