Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Financial & Tax Architects LLC Lowers Holdings

Financial & Tax Architects LLC lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 86.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 344 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,197 shares during the quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $313,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 5,085 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,629,000 after purchasing an additional 1,322 shares in the last quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,064 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,789,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.4% during the third quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 8,091 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,223,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares in the last quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.8% during the third quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. now owns 16,903 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,387,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barlow Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the third quarter. Barlow Wealth Partners LLC now owns 36,354 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,016,000 after acquiring an additional 899 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results reinforce the strength of Costco’s membership model, e-commerce business and value-focused offering. September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy rating while setting a $1,065 price target after previously publicizing a higher $1,250 target. Other coverage highlights Costco’s sales growth, membership loyalty and digital gains, supporting the recent recovery above key moving averages. Tigress Financial Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payment signals continued cash-flow strength. Costco Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion pipeline: Proposed warehouse projects in Macon and Oakland, along with a planned Merced County relocation, point to continued investment in Costco’s store network. Infrastructure financing of up to $30 million could support the Macon development. Macon Costco Project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal 2027 executive bonus plan adds sustainability-related measures. The change may support long-term operational goals, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Costco Executive Bonus Update
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks remain: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or membership trends slow. Persistent inflation and potentially higher interest rates could also pressure consumer spending and market valuations.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million. The transaction is relatively small compared with Costco’s market value, but it may add a modest cautionary signal for investors. Costco Insider Sale

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four investment 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,087.40.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

COST stock opened at $989.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $933.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $963.28. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $438.30 billion, a PE ratio of 47.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS 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 business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current 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 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 is presently 28.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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.