Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Sharper & Granite LLC Trims Position

Sharper & Granite LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,396 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 475 shares during the period. Sharper & Granite LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,391,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Alta Advisers Ltd increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 90.6% in the 3rd quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd now owns 3,175 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,890,000 after buying an additional 1,509 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,418 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,300,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.8% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 122,178 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $111,223,000 after buying an additional 9,867 shares during the period. Claro Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 33.7% in the 3rd quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. now owns 3,250 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,958,000 after acquiring an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Telos Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 18,099 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,476,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Freedom Broker reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. One 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of COST traded down $12.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,053.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,513,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,207,412. 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $952.42 and its 200-day moving average is $972.49. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.75, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business 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 $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 presently 28.32%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.