Ethic Inc. Acquires 845 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,775 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,912,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 51.4% during the third quarter. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. now owns 383 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $349,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. StoneX Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.9% during the third quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 6,673 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,117,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Unify Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.3% in the third quarter. Unify Financial Advisors now owns 1,364 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,242,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 22.5% in the third quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC now owns 98 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leelyn Smith LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the third quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 6,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,966,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,053.56 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a PE ratio of 50.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $952.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $972.49.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,090.55.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported October net sales of $24.50 billion, up 12.6% year over year. U.S. comparable sales rose 8.1% excluding gasoline-price changes, while digital growth also accelerated—evidence of continued customer demand. Costco’s October Net Sales Jump 12.6% as Digital Growth Accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $1,150 from $1,015 and maintained an overweight rating. Bank of America also kept its buy rating following the stronger U.S. comparable-sales results. JPMorgan price-target update Costco retains BofA buy as October U.S. comps rise
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage points to solid share-price momentum, supported by a string of earnings beats, but investors may be watching whether earnings growth can justify the stock’s valuation. Costco Stock: Earnings Growth Could Shape the Next Big Move
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a key risk: reports cite a trailing P/E near 49, leaving limited room for disappointment, while earnings revisions have raised concerns. Citi maintained a hold rating with a $1,020 target, reflecting a more cautious view than JPMorgan’s. Costco Stock: Why Analysts Are Split Despite Strong October Sales

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.

The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.