Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Acquired by Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 154.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,900 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,200 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.0% of Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $31,771,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in COST. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,828,881,000 after purchasing an additional 283,360 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong. CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, while Tigress Financial raised its price target to $1,250. Erste Group also increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $25.07 from $25.01, above the current-year consensus estimate of $22.70. CICC coverage article Tigress Financial price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Growth and customer engagement remain key positives. Costco’s membership model has delivered substantial long-term shareholder returns, and the company is reportedly using purchasing data to better target high-spending members. REJURAN Cosmetics is also expanding through Costco’s first Beauty Table program, potentially adding traffic and broadening its premium beauty offering. Costco customer spending article REJURAN retail expansion article
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term growth screens are favorable, and analysts’ average recommendation is equivalent to a Buy. However, these reports largely reiterate existing optimism rather than provide a new earnings catalyst. Zacks growth stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or disappointing growth. Kroger is planning major investments and price cuts to win back market share from Costco and Walmart, which could intensify grocery competition and pressure margins. Kroger competition article

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Tigress Financial boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,086.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible 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 stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,003.32 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $444.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.88. 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 moving average is $937.96 and its 200 day moving average is $963.21. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.