Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Summit Global Investments Lowers Position

Summit Global Investments lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,711 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,750 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.5% of Summit Global Investments’ portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Summit Global Investments’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,751,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. TD Cowen began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of COST opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $448.57 billion, a PE ratio of 48.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s fifty day moving average is $943.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $970.25. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (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 quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $5.87 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

About Costco Wholesale

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.